The title of the best international tourism village for Shafiabad was achieved with the participation of the people

The observance ceremony of the first anniversary of the selection of Shafi Abad as the best tourist village in the world was held in the evening of Friday 24 Mehr 1405, with the presence of provincial and national officials, the people of the village and a group of tourists and enthusiasts in this village.

According to Aria Heritage Reporter, the observance ceremony of the first anniversary of the international election of Shafi Abad village was held in the presence of Kerman Governor Mohammad Ali Talebi, Kerman and Raver People's Representative Shahbaz Hasanpour in the Islamic Council, Sayyed Mostafa Fatemi, Director General of Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Deputy Governors and Sayyed Movid Mohsen Nejad, Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts of Kerman Province, and was warmly welcomed by the people and tourists.

Seyed Mostafa Fatemi, Director General of Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, said in this ceremony, referring to the global selection process of Shafi Abad, "the preparation and completion of the file of this village was started by taking advantage of previous experiences and based on 10 specific indicators, and expert evaluations, documenting the capacities and collective efforts of people and executive bodies, provided the basis for its global selection."

The Director General of Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage listed the completeness of the tourism infrastructure along with local initiatives as one of the most important evaluation indicators of Shafi Abad and added: The effective participation of the people in tourism activities and the development of the village also played a decisive role in this selection. Expert reviews during a year and documents prepared on the capacities of the village, along with the support of the executive bodies and the efforts of the residents, led to the acquisition of this global title.

Referring to the role of the people, especially the women of the village, in preparing Shafi Abad for global introduction, he cited the activities of ecotourism lodges, desert climbing programs, holding sports events including two marathons, and the effective presence of the private sector in investment as other effective factors in this success.

Fatemi expressed his appreciation for the support of Kerman governor, deputy governor for civil works, executive bodies, experts and people of Shafi Abad, saying: The global selection of this village is the result of empathy, participation and collective effort, and maintaining this achievement will require continued cooperation between people, officials and tourism activists.

The Director General of Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage emphasized the necessity of continued synergy for the development of tourism in Shafi Abad and surrounding villages and noted that maintaining the world title of this village requires strengthening the infrastructure, continuity of development programs and protection of the indicators that have provided the basis for its selection.

He also considered Shafiabad to have the capacity to become the center of rural tourism events and the supply of local products and handicrafts of the region, and he listed the creation of a handicraft market as one of the measures that can help the economic prosperity of the region and support local artists and producers.

Fatemi considered the authentic identity of the village to be one of the most important factors in attracting tourists and emphasized: Tourism development should be pursued in such a way that the cultural and social identity of Shafiabad is preserved, because this identity is part of the global value and attractiveness of this tourist destination.

In this ceremony, a group of activists and hard workers of Shafi Abad village, who played an effective role in the process of introducing and selecting the village globally, as well as improving infrastructure and maintaining tourism indicators, were honored with a certificate of appreciation. Also, Kerman Governor Mohammad Ali Talebi gave a certificate of appreciation to the efforts of Seyed Mustafa Fatemi, Director General of Domestic Tourism Development of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, for his efforts in obtaining the title of the best tourist village in the world for Shafi Abad.