The most important success and achievements gained by Yazd Cultural Heritage Handicrafts and Tourism Organization in the government of “devise and hope”

Mrs. Fatemeh Danesh Yazdi, the general director of Yazd cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism organization(CHTO)described the activities and achievements gained by Yazd CHTO in the eleventh government and added that we had good progress in cultural heritage as well as handicrafts and tourism fields and we have seen good growth in tourism industry by the province governor support and in participation with other organizations and offices.   

Referring to the president devise and the cooperation of all government agencies in developing cultural heritage tourism and handicrafts Mrs. Fatemeh Danesh Yazdi said that the government of "devise and hope" has provided us a great opportunity to pay more attention to handicrafts, tourism industry and the historic and cultural monuments. Yazd CHTO general director expressed that the cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism organization is composed of three distinct parts. These three sectors complete each other performance. The cultural heritage part reconstructs and restores the historical monuments, the tourism part operates and uses the monuments and finally the handicrafts part produces and exports the crafts.

 She also said "The most important activities done by Yazd CHTO in the government of "devise and hope" includes of: Recording 2 world heritage and 148 national heritage monuments, adding 300 hotel beds and 51 eco-tourism units by a capacity of 850 beds, sending the record documents of Yazd as a world heritage town to UNESCO, reviving and reconstructing Zarch and Hasan Abad qanats(water channels) and organizing Sakhvid ski resort." She also noted that the achievements gained by tourism and investment sector helped us to improve the quality and quantity of our hotels. The number of Iranians and foreign tourists who visit Yazd has been increased in the past four years and the hotels are occupied by a large number of these tourists."Setting up eco-tourism units is the most important success attained by the tourism sector" she said "and these residential places influencing tourism and local economy. Our goal is converting rural houses into eco-tourism residential places to attract local and foreign tourists and influence local economy."

Mrs. Danesh Yazdi added that another important success gained by tourism and investment part includes of :developing and building four star hotels like Sib&Anar ,Dad ,Moshir Almamalek and Arg hotel with an investing of 67815 $ ,giving the permission to create and develop tourism substruction, increasing the hotels capacity, improving the existing  residential places, developing and implementing a five-year tourism development program known as "welcome to Yazd", developing  eco-tourism with an emphasis on both desert and mountain climates ,developing desert camps and tourism entertainment centers by attracting investors, establishing  the company of evaluation & standardization for accommodation units for the first time in Yazd, preparing tourism route plan in Yazd and its subordinate cities ,obtaining top rank in attracting peoples participation in tourism ,obtaining countries first place in tourism culture and Iranian table exhibition ,being first place in Tehran international tourism exhibition and finally setting up tourist taxi in Yazd.

The general director also pointed to the achievements obtained by cultural heritage part and said these achievements includes of : 148 cultural, historical and natural works which have been recorded as national heritage and the qanat of Zarch and Hasan Abad which have been recorded by UNESCO as world heritage qanat and also preparing the record documents of Yazd historic city texture to be sent to UNESCO and recorded as a world heritage town, performing the highest level of sand flooring in Amir Chakhmaq square in participation with Yazd municipality, repairing and reconstructing of the finance building , studing and reaserching of more than 140 project plans, reviving of 1240 historic and cultural monuments, monitoring(to prevent termite damage) historical basic monuments such as Yazd Jaame mosque, Fahraj mosque, Abarkooh jaame mosque and Seyed shams aldin mausoleum, starting the revival operation of Sadriha house as a big museum in Yazd, organizing more than 2000 items of cultural and historical objects, reviving and restoration of more than 50 badgirs(wind catchers)in participation with private sector, repairing and reconstruction of Yazd Darvaze(gate) Shahi, reviving Shahi market in order to use as handicrafts market, preparing the heritage record documents of martyrs grave yard to be recorded as imposed war memorial in Islamic revolution heritage field, repairing the lines and passages of the historic area of Yazd city.

The general director pointed to Zarch qanat and said "Zarch old qanat is the world longest qanat that has been revived and regained its own activity".

 About the success and achievements that have been attained by handicrafts sector Mrs. Danesh expressed "we could record Yazd as a traditional textile city and Meybod as a national zillu(carpet) city. We prepared a support package for crafts workshops and added 10 handmade workshops in rural areas and villages. We also revived brocade, cashmere and velvet weaving". She also said "The handicrafts sector has attained more achievements in the past 4 years such as: issuance of 1131 individual and 38 work shopping product licenses, issuance of 258 craftsman ID cards, holding of 133 temporary crafts market, receiving 43 national medals for handicrafts quality, training 8558 crafts students, issuance of 6366 basic and advanced training certificates in more than 30 crafts field, opening professional center of traditional textile, setting up temporary and permanent crafts market in Yazd province, presenting and participation in exhibitions, festivals and cultural weeks in abroad, holding of monthly meeting with handicrafts artists.