Tehran, Iran, April 22
By Kamyar Eghbalnejad – Trend:
Ahead of Tabriz 2018 event in which the Iranian northwestern city represents the capital of Islamic tourism for the whole year, Governor General Majid Khodabakhsh has briefed Trend on the hotel construction projects in the city.
Majid Khodabakhsh told Trend that the city has issued 32 licenses for the construction of hotels in the city.
However, only seven hotel construction projects have been launched, so far. Some of the under construction hotels have been completed by 80 percent but others have only advanced by 20 percent.
He added that the city officials have joined efforts to inaugurate the seven under construction hotels over the current year.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and a number of foreign ambassadors are expected to attend the official opening ceremony of the event Tabriz 2018 to be held on April 25.
Mohammadali Farokhmehr, the head of the Iran Hotel Association earlier this year told Trend that the process for the construction of new hotels in the Iranian capital city of Tehran has slowed down.
“Over the recent years permissions have been issued for building about 80 new hotels but only 30 construction projects have been launched,” he said.
Saying that the construction of hotels in the earlier years witnessed a better space, he added that all these projects have been backed by domestic investors.
According to the official, 123 hotels are currently serving people in Tehran, but about half of the capacity of hotels in the capital city remained empty over the last fiscal year which ended on March 20.
Farokhmehr believes that fears over a possible earthquake as well as high level of air pollution in Tehran city discouraged travelers from visiting the capital city.
Back in December 2017, the Cultural Heritage, Handicraft and Tourism Department said that a total of 160 hotels were being built in Iran.