TEHRAN – The director general of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department of West Azarbaijan province has said that 8 billion rials (some $2 million at the official rate of 42,000 rials) in loans were paid to handicraft artisans of the province in the previous Iranian calendar year (ended March 19).

Jalil Jabbari told Tasnim News Agency that the accommodation capacity in the province was 2,291 rooms and 5,395 beds, noting: "With the implementation of the projects under construction, 869 rooms and 1,712 beds will be added to this capacity."

Five projects including a three-star hotel, two tourism complexes, an accommodation complex, and a four-star hotel with a total investment of 2,595 billion rials will be operational over the next few months, creating jobs for 318 persons.

Jabbari noted that last year seven permits were issued for tourism facilities in the province and prediction for an investment volume of 409 billion rials and employment of 57 people, said: "Also last year, five tourist accommodation units in the province were launched."

Jabbari added: "Also, visits by members of the executive staff of the province's travel services, issuance of operating licenses for accommodation and recreation units in three cases, registration of the crated jobs in the country's employment monitoring system, issuance of price rates for accommodation and catering units in the province and prevention of illegal activities of residential units in cooperation with the Law Enforcement officials for the use of residential units and reception were another measure of the General Directorate during the past year."

He also referred to the training and empowerment of tourism activists during the last year and said: "Holding virtual training courses for empowering professional tourism activists, holding a workshop for tourism activists in one workshop, holding courses, short-term tourism training courses, coordinating training webinars with the tourism regulations of the Ministry of Tourism and travel and tourism services offices and tour guides are some of the measures taken by this department."

In October 2020, the deputy tourism chief, Vali Teymouri, announced that a new support package was approved to pay loans to businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Depending on the type and activity of the businesses, they could benefit from at least 160 million rials ($3,800) to nine billion rials ($214,000) of bank loans with a 12-percent interest rate, he said. 

The loans would be allocated to tourist guides, travel agencies, tourism transport companies, tourism educational institutions, eco-lodges and traditional accommodations, hotels, apartment hotels, motels, and guesthouses as well as traditional accommodation centers, tourism complexes, and recreational centers, the official explained.