The northern province of Gilan is ready to attract domestic and foreign investment in the tourism sector, said the head of the Gilan Assembly of Lawmakers, adding that efforts are underway to form a chamber for attraction of investment and issuing tourism licenses to facilitate the investment process.
Talking to Iran Daily, Rasoul Farrokhi said, “Investors in the tourism industry can follow their requests through the chamber instead of referring to various organizations and governmental bodies.”
Referring to the abundant tourism potential of his province, the MP said, “These capacities are very prominent, especially in the field of tourism, as they have access to the most pristine sights and attractions in the mountains and forests.”
He noted that Gilan Province has a higher rank in terms of tourism in the country because the tourist attractions in the province are not limited to certain places, as the whole environment of the province has natural tourist attractions.
He said that the many natural attractions of the province compensate for its shortcomings and problems.
Pointing out that the tourism capacities of Gilan can improve the economic situation in the province, Farrokhi said, “While inviting all investors to make investments in the field of tourism, we are ready to remove restrictions.”
He added, “Despite the high economic capacity in the field of tourism in the province, not more than five percent of the capacity has been used in the field of job creation, while the figure can be increased to at least 50 percent in the medium term.”
The lawmaker said tourism is the only field that does not require a special academic degree in terms of job creation.
Talking about the tourism capacities of different regions of the province, Farrokhi noted that the city of Rasht, as the capital of the province, in addition to natural attractions, has many historical monuments including the historical house and tomb of Mirza Kuchak Khan, Kolah Farangi Building and Shahrdari (Municipality) Square.
He added that Lahijan, another city of the province, had been announced as the tourism hub of the Islamic world as the city is famous for its tea production.
The MP also pointed out that the 50-km Siahkal to Dailaman road is surrounded by a pristine and spectacular forest.
In this area, there is a part of the Hyrcanian forest that have many tourist attractions, he added.
