TEHRAN - North Khorasan province has the capacity to become a complete tourism destination on its own, a senior tourism official said during a one-day visit to the province.

Seyyed Mostafa Fatemi, director general of the domestic tourism development office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, made the remarks while visiting the target tourism village of Ruin (Rooyin)and the historical Belqeys Citadel in Esfarayen, Miras Aria reported on Wednesday.

Fatemi said the province’s range of tourism themes was broad enough for North Khorasan to be known independently as a national destination, but added that its capacities had not been sufficiently recognized.

He said Ruin is one of the eighth Iranian villages being nominated for the UN Tourism’s Villages and is under review for potential registration in 2027.

The official underlined that Ruin has full capacity in handicrafts and the tourism value chain, with local initiatives offering potential, but added that focus was needed on three main axes and initiatives.

Fatemi said discussions with residents and tourism activists showed that local rituals, legends and narratives could serve as identity components and help introduce Ruin as a literary tourism destination.

He also pointed to handicraft capacities and surrounding tour routes, adding that directing tourists to nearby attractions, including the Belqeys Citadel, could support regional tourism development. He said preparation of the village’s world registration dossier is on the agenda.

On tourism events, Fatemi said such events are defined as programs held at a specific time that can attract domestic and foreign tourists, have cultural identity, involve local communities and have potential for development.

Fatemi also announced ministry support for Nowruz related programs and innovative tourism initiatives in the province.

Referring to his visit to the Belqeys Citadel and meetings with tourism experts, Fatemi said North Khorasan hosts a variety of historical, natural, cultural and agricultural attractions, which could serve as a competitive advantage in attracting tourists.

He identified lack of recognition and transportation limitations as the two main challenges facing tourism development in the province.

“North Khorasan is not sufficiently known, not only to the general public but also to many tourism specialists,” he said, adding that distance and transport infrastructure are key issues.

Fatemi said organizing familiarization tours for media activists and influencers could help introduce the province’s capacities and support tourism marketing and promotion.

Khorasan, meaning the “Land of the Sun”, is a historical region and realm comprising a vast territory now lying in northeastern Iran, southern Turkmenistan, and northern Afghanistan. The historical region extended along the north, from the Amu Darya (Oxus River) westward to the Caspian Sea and, along the south, from the fringes of the central Iranian deserts eastward to the mountains of central Afghanistan.

AM