TEHRAN –A total of 1,010,000 visits to the historical sites and tourist attractions of the western province of Kordestan was registered during the two-week New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 20-April 2), the provincial tourism chief announced on Monday.

Travelers also made some 20,906 overnight stays in the official accommodation centers across the province during the mentioned time, Yaqub Guylian said.

Some handicrafts exhibitions were also held during the period to promote the handmade products of the local artisans, the official added. He also mentioned that online visits and virtual tours of some of the province’s popular tourist attractions have been launched as well.

Before the national holiday, President Hassan Rouhani declared new travel bans for cities situated in the “red” and “orange” zones to combat the new COVID-19 variant.

Rouhani called on people to avoid traveling during the Iranian New Year holidays to help contain the spread of coronavirus. He said it would be forbidden to make trips to cities marked as “red” and “orange” in terms of the prevalence of COVID-19.

“We request people to avoid traveling during Noruz holidays for the sake of their own health… It will be forbidden to travel to red and orange towns and cities,” he said. “No one should make any plans to travel to these cities,” he stressed.

Late in February, the tourism minister said despite all the obstacles and issues and the outbreak of the coronavirus, the country’s tourism sector is still alive and dynamic.

Noruz ceremonies and trips, if practiced under health protocols, could be beneficial for the revival of the tourism industry and handicrafts, which have been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic in many provinces, the minister explained.

Iranians traditionally make hundreds of thousands of domestic trips during the New Year holidays, when most businesses and workplaces are closed, as are schools.

ABU/AFM