TEHRAN – It is essential for Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province, to establish cheap accommodation, the provincial tourism chief has said.

It is imperative that travelers to Mashhad find cheap accommodation because of the high prices and rising costs, Seyyed Javad Mousavi explained on Sunday, ISNA reported.

The city of Mashhad is a destination for pilgrimage journeys and should not charge travelers for a wide range of services, the official added.

In return, tourism facilities would be exempt from taxes, but if their occupancy capacity is below 70 percent, they would be required to pay double, he noted.

Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province, is Iran’s holiest and second-largest city which embraces the shrine complex of the eighth Shia Imam.

Before the coronavirus puts almost everything on lockdown, Mashhad played host to thousands of travelers and pilgrims who come from various Iranian cities, neighboring countries, and even across the globe to visit the holy shrine.

Dozens of five-star hotels and hostels are dotted around the holy shrine. The city has also the highest concentration of water parks in the country, and it also embraces a variety of cultural and historical sites that are generally crowded.

ABU/AM