Dasht-e Loot (Loot Desert), Sahand and Sabalan Mountains, and Kalateh Khore cave have been suggested as the geotourism attractions of Iran to be inscribed in the list of UNESCO's World Heritage.
Iran has seven historic sites registered in UNESCO while no natural site from this country which enjoys enormous potentials has been registered yet. By introducing its natural sites, Iran is trying to take a step towards introducing its geotourism attractions.
The file will be first studied by the registration council of the historical and natural department of Iran's Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, and after approval, it will be submitted to UNESCO for a final decision.
Geotourism as a form of cultural-environmental tourism was given an important attention by UNESCO since the year 2000 when the issue of geoparks was first introduced.
The two famous deserts of Iran, Dasht-e Loot and Dasht-e Kavir, covering an area of over 360,000 square kilometers, are amongst the most interesting yet least known places in the world. By introducing them as geotourism potentials Iran will be able to attract more tourists and boost its tourism industry. |