TEHRAN — Mohammadreza Akbari, the tourism chief of Isfahan province, has announced plans to transform Isfahan into a “tourist city” through a series of initiatives.

Akbari said a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Art University of Isfahan to strengthen cooperation in scientific, educational, and research fields as well as the creative economy, CHTN reported.

He added that a meeting was held with university officials to discuss mutual cooperation, planning, policymaking, and strategies aimed at boosting the province’s tourism industry.

They sought to achieve mutual cooperation and achieve goals, planning, policymaking, and determining strategies in the province's tourism industry, he added.

Akbari added: “This plan will be prepared with quantitative and qualitative indicators in tourism products, urban tourism infrastructure and services, attractions and tourism facility centers, transportation, various cultural, artistic, economic, and social dimensions, as well as other influential urban indicators.”

He emphasized that the plan is implemented for improving the quality of urban tourism services.

Given that one of the important priorities of the Isfahan Governorate is tourism, the provincial cities can take action on the path of tourism development and earn the title of tourist city by benefiting from this plan, he said.

During the meeting, discussions were held regarding the preparation of investment packages, investor attraction planning, and the launch of a comprehensive investment opportunities system by Isfahan University of Arts.

The ancient city of Isfahan, which serves as the provincial capital as well, is situated at the crossroads of Iran’s north-south and east-west trade routes. It reached its zenith between the 9th and 18th centuries. During the Safavid era, it became Iran’s capital under Shah Abbas the Great.

Isfahan was once a crossroads of international trade and diplomacy in Iran and now it is one of Iran’s top tourist destinations for good reasons. It is filled with many architectural wonders, such as unmatched Islamic buildings, bazaars, museums, Persian gardens, and tree-lined boulevards. It’s a city for walking, getting lost in its mazing bazaars, dozing in beautiful gardens, and meeting people.

The Persian proverb “Isfahan nesf-e-jahan ast” (Isfahan is half the world) reflects the city’s cultural and historical prominence.

KD