The MOU seeks to re-organize sightseeing in the park, providing solutions for systematic visits of tourists, determining the requirements for tourism activities in the park, and introducing the elites and activists of the region in both environment and tourism sectors.

Identifying forgotten handicrafts fields in the nearby villages, producing related content, designing handicraft products inspired by the patterns of natural resources in the park, and holding workshops and training courses are also some other pillars of the agreement.

The provincial tourism chief Ahmad Tajari and the director of the Department General of Environment Mohammadreza Kanani signed the MOU on Sunday.

As one of the unique natural sites of the country, the

Golestan National Park holds the potential to become a tourism hub for nature lovers, Tajari said during the signing ceremony.

It seems necessary in this region to develop eco-lodge units and train tour guides to protect and preserve the national park, the official added.

Based on the MOU, a business plan will be implemented in Golestan National Park with a focus on tourism and handicrafts, which will be a major step toward preserving Golestan forests and generating employment in the area, he added.

For his part, Kanani said that the development of eco-tourism should be pursued in this region.

Handicraft products made in rural areas could be marketed while tourists visit the national park, creating job opportunities for the local population, he explained.

Bordering the Caspian Sea, Golestan, the oldest national park in Iran, is a unique refuge for wildlife that has been facing problems in recent years due to man-made damages.

Stretched to 87,402 hectares, it is home to one-seventh of Iran's plant species, one-third of all birds, and half of the country's mammals, hosting 1,350 plant

species and 302 wildlife species. It has been listed as one of the top fifty ecosystems on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1930.

ABU/AFM