TEHRAN – A tourism official in Isfahan on Wednesday called for the design of combined tourism packages centered on “resistance tourism,” aiming to link cultural and historical attractions with sites tied to the war with US and the Zionist regime of Israel. 

Davoud Abian, deputy head of tourism at the provincial department of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts, said new tourism destinations were needed to make use of the province’s diverse capacities.

“Isfahan province has extensive potential in various tourism sectors, and it is necessary to design tours with a new approach that can introduce a collection of cultural, historical and natural attractions alongside resistance tourism,” Abian said, according to IRNA.

He said combined tours could integrate visits to major landmarks in Isfahan with sites associated with themes of sacrifice and resistance, creating a new product in the province’s tourism portfolio.

“Resistance tourism represents an important part of our historical and contemporary identity and can help tourists gain a deeper understanding of the culture,” he added.

Abian said travel agencies, tour guides and other tourism stakeholders should cooperate to design diverse routes and packages based on this theme.

He also highlighted the role of such tours in attracting both domestic and foreign visitors, saying tourists increasingly seek thematic and experience-based travel.

“Offering combined tours centered on resistance, in addition to strengthening historical narratives, can contribute to sustainable tourism development in the province,” he said.

Abian said the provincial department was ready to support initiatives by tourism operators to develop and implement such tours.

One such location, maybe near Shahreza, where two U.S. C-130 military transport aircraft and at least two helicopters were destroyed in early April during a two-day rescue mission following the downing of an F-15 fighter jet by Iranian forces.

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.

AM