TEHRAN—Head of Semnan Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Department Bahman Akhlaqi said that 22 projects regarding tourism and handicrafts sectors will be inaugurated across the province during the Government Week (September 23-29).

He explained that 17 tourism projects and five handicraft projects will be inaugurated in provincial cities including Shahroud, Garmsar, Damghan, Semnan, Mahdishahr, and Sorkheh, Miras Arya (CHTN) reported. 

Pointing to the volume of investment for these projects, he said the whole investment for these projects is over 1,200 billion rials ($1.3 million), of which 915 billion rials pertains to the tourism sector and 300 billion rials pertains to handicrafts sector.

Saying that the projects will totally generate 225 direct and indirect jobs, he pointed out that 158 jobs will be in tourism sector and 67 jobs in handicrafts sector.

These projects include the creation of eco-tourism and traditional accommodations, a traveler's house, a roadside restaurant, a traditional canteen, agricultural tourism centers, handicraft shops, as well as specialized handicraft workshops, including pottery and ceramics, he added.

Akhlaqi continued that two projects including an eco-tourism residence will be opened in the village of Kando and a handicraft store in Semnan, six projects in Shahroud including a guest house, an agricultural tourism center, an eco-tourism residence, a handicraft store, and two pottery and ceramic workshops, five projects in Damghan including an eco-tourism residence, a traditional residence, a traditional dining hall, a roadside restaurant, and a handicraft store, four projects in Garmsar including four eco-tourism residences and a woodturning workshop, two eco-tourism residences in Mahdishahr, and two projects including the first eco-tourism residence in the tourist target villages of Jovin and the eco-tourism residence in the village of Soufiabad in Sorkheh.

These projects will not only develop tourism and handicraft infrastructure in the province, but will also make an important contribution to local economic prosperity, increase sustainable employment, and attract domestic and foreign tourists, he added.

In 2022, Iran selected Semnan to represent the country at a union of Silk Road cities based on an initiative launched by China to promote tourism along the ancient route that once linked Asia to the Western world.

The ancient Silk Road has existed for thousands of years, passing through empires, kingdoms, reigns, and societies throughout history. At certain times in its long history, traders could travel freely along these routes, whereas at others, travel was difficult or dangerous.

According to UNESCO, the Silk Road enriched the countries it passed through, transporting cultures, religions, languages, and material goods into societies across Europe, Asia, and Africa, and uniting them all with a common thread of cultural heritage and plural identities.

KD