TEHRAN – Ardabil province, with its more than 1,800 historical monuments, unique natural attractions, and excellent geopolitical position, is on track to become Iran’s leading hub for health, winter, and nature-based tourism.

Announcing this, Ardabil Governor-General Masoud Emami-Yeganeh emphasized the strategic position of this northwestern province in the development of the country's tourism, Miras Aria (CHTN) reported.

Speaking at the 24th meeting of the Strategic Council of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, which was held in the presence of Minister of Cultural Heritage Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri on Monday, he said that Ardabil is one of the most important tourism destinations in the country, hosting more than five million domestic tourists annually. 

Referring to the province's privileged geopolitical location, Emami-Yeganeh said: “Ardabil is the gateway to the Caucasus and the geopolitical connection point of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the region. This feature, along with the climatic diversity from the Moghan Plain to the slopes of Sabalan, has paved the way for the formation of health, nature, and winter tourism axes.”

He added that with 110 hot and mineral springs, Ardabil is one of the main origins of medical tourism in the country. The creation of a special health tourism zone centered on Sarein county is on the agenda, and negotiations with investment holdings in this area have reached the final stage, he pointed out.

Emami-Yeganeh announced the development of winter tourism in the slopes of Sabalan and said: “Two active ski resorts in the Alvares region and the Sabalan tourism complex have been equipped with an investment of 230 billion rials ($230,000).”

This infrastructure has provided the basis for holding the national and international winter sports competitions, and Sarein Winter Festival is being held in cooperation with the Ministry of Sports and Youth. 

Referring to the prominent position of the province's handicrafts, he stated that Ardabil is one of the national hubs of handicrafts; the Sabalan carpet and Ardabil pottery brands have captured the attention worldwide.

 The governor-general added that creating permanent bazaars, launching a comprehensive entrepreneurship center, and holding international handicraft exhibitions are on the agenda and will be implemented with support of the Cultural Heritage Ministry.

Referring to the cross-border capacities of the province, he said that during the recent visit of Azerbaijan President, the formation of a joint tourism committee between Iran and Azerbaijan was agreed by the two countries. 

Ardabil, as a cultural connection point between the two nations, is ready to host international meetings such as the ECO Silk Road Taskforce and the D8 summit, he added. 
Emami-Yeganeh stated that currently, 90 investment projects worth more than 350,000 billion rials ($350 million) and generating jobs for 3,500 people are being implemented.

A total of 24 tourism infrastructure projects is also underway with a financial requirement of about 600 billion rials ($600,000), and the participation of the ministry and the province in providing financial resources is anticipated.

Emphasizing the importance of the infrastructure, he said that Ardabil-Mianeh railway project, which is one of the country's national and strategic projects, will be put into operation by the end of this year with the allocation of 250,000 billion rials ($250 million). 

Developing transportation axes, rural roads for tourism, and increasing domestic flights are other priorities of the government in the province, he added.
The governor announced the launch of an airline with an Ardabil base in the coming months, adding that launching flights from Ardabil to Kish, Parsabad, and other domestic destinations is on the agenda to strengthen the province's air tourism links.

KD