TEHRAN—Head of Ilam Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department Farzad Sharifi said that 37 tourism units in the province have entered the standardization cycle, 22 of these units succeeded in receiving a certificate of tourism service quality.

He told IRNA that the extension of the tourist facility activity license depends on the evaluation and receipt of a service quality certificate, and this evaluation is based on criteria such as technical specifications, equipment, human resources, and quality of service provision. 

Sharifi added that in line with the implementation of the executive regulations for the creation, modification, completion, grading, and pricing of tourist facilities and monitoring their performance, the province's tourist facilities were examined by ‘Ideh Novin Gardeshgari’ company and in the presence of a representative of the country's tourism services supervision and evaluation of Tourism Department.

He said that benefiting from standard accommodation and service facilities is one of the foundations of tourism prosperity in Ilam, adding: “Currently, 127 ecotourism units and 143 service, welfare and accommodation complexes are active in the province, each of which helps attract tourists with a localization approach and strengthening the local identity. 

Sharifi continued that the province's first three-star rural hotel in Ilam city is ready to open, and the project to build a four-star hotel is also underway with more than 20 percent physical progress in Quran Square in Ilam city. 

According to Sharifi, this project requires 400 billion rials ($400,000) of credit from Iran’s National Development Fund (NDF), which is being pursued with the support of the governor-general and representatives of Iranian parliament (Majlis). 

He also pointed to the increase in the number of tourists on various occasions, especially during Nowruz holidays, and added: “During the Nowruz holidays, more than 360,000 people chose Ilam province as a travel destination, a statistic that is the result of effective media advertising and the extensive activity of virtual activists in introducing the attractions of Ilam.”

He noted that the unauthorized tourism centers in the province are also being identified and regulated, and the owners of these centers must register and obtain an activity license in the comprehensive system for monitoring, statistics, and information on tourism facilities called ‘JANA’ at myst.mcth.ir. 

Sharifi said that this department continuously evaluates tourism facilities and deals with illegal activities with the aim of protecting the rights of tourists and developing healthy tourism in cooperation with the public and regulatory agencies.

Ilam province, western Iran, covers an area of 19,086 square kilometers and include Ilam, Mehran, Dehloran, Darreh Shahr, Eyvan, and Abdanan cities.  It shares its borders with three provinces of Khuzestan in the south, Lorestan in the east, and Kermanshah in the north. 

Ilam has also 425 kilometers of common border with Iraq in the west.  As the western gateway of Iran and the route for millions of pilgrims to the holy shrines in Iraq, this province holds a special place on the country's tourism map. 

The province’s weather is hot and dry during summer and is temperate in winter. Ilam boasts beautiful spring nature.  The capital city of the province is Ilam. The city is bounded by mountains and forests and benefits from mountainous weather. 

Ancient castles, channels and riverbeds in mountainous nature make attractions for those who visit the place, especially during spring when all over the place is covered with green.

KD