About 65,000 tourists visited Yazd Province, central Iran, in the year to March 2015, showing an increase of over 500 percent compared to the figure for the year to March 2013 which was 12,000, said Mohammadreza Nasiri attributing this to a change in the governments tourism approach and the lack of security for tourists in some foreign countries.
The provinces of Yazd, Fars and Isfahan are the three main tourist destinations of Iran, Nasiri said.
Tourism infrastructures have been created in Fars and Isfahan provinces, while Yazd Province faces problems in this respect, he said.
He listed insufficient lodging facilities as the major shortcoming of the tourism industry in Yazd Province.
Yazd Province has 3,800 beds for tourists and this figure should be doubled to meet the needs of visitors, he added.
Nasiri said that establishing a five-star hotel in Yazd city as well as other towns in the province and promoting ecotourism could attract more tourists.
Paying more attention to handicraft sector will also have a positive impact on the growth of tourism, he said.
Nasiri urged private investors to attach more importance to the historical texture and tourism capacity of Ardakan.
Zarin Desert in Ardakan extending over an area of 60 km provides excellent potential for setting up tourist camps, he said, calling on the officials to facilitate the development of the region.
By IRNA
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