TEHRAN –The port city of Nowshahr in northern Mazandaran province has immense potential for maritime tourism, a member of the Iranian parliament has said. Nowshahr has great potential for tourism development, particularly due to its proximity to the airport, Mohammad Ali Mohseni explained on Saturday. With the advancement of maritime tourism, there are numerous opportunities for expanding the region, he added.For these advancements to occur, however, the private sector needs to collaborate, he noted. Sandwiched between the towering Alborz mountain range and the Caspian Sea, Mazandaran has a rich yet turbulent history.

An early civilization flourished at the beginning of the first millennium BC in Mazandaran (Tabarestan).Its insecure eastern and southeastern borders were crossed by Mongol invaders in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Cossacks attacked the region in 1668 but were repulsed.

It was ceded to the Russian Empire by a treaty in 1723, but the Russians were never secure in their occupation.

The area was restored to Iran under the Qajar dynasty.The northern section of the region consists of lowland alongside the Caspian and upland along the northern slopes of the Alborz Mountains.

Marshy backlands dominate the coastal plain, and extensive gravel fans fringe the mountains.

The climate is permanently subtropical and humid, with very hot summers.Over the past couple of years, the Islamic Republic has made various efforts to exploit maritime tourism potential by developing hospitality infrastructures, diversifying sea routes, and drawing private sector investors along its vast southern coasts.Prosperous maritime tourism could help the county to meet its ambitious target of attracting 20 million annual tourists by 2025.

It also keeps an eye on tourism developments in the Caspian Sea in the north.In 2021 the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop maritime tourism and make the best use of its potential on the southern and northern coasts of the country.Promoting the culture of using the sea as a tool to increase social vitality, developing coastal activities in the form of environmentally-friendly plans and programs, and creating the necessary grounds for cooperation and exchange of knowledge and information was also among the topics of the agreement.ABU/AM