Unveiling of the Bilingual "Qaleh Bala Branding" Website of Semnan Province to Strengthen the Path to World Registration

According to the reporter of Miras Arya, Jalal Tajik said on Wednesday, May 20, 2026: On the sidelines of the second National Ecotourism Festival with the presence of Mohseni Bandpei, the Deputy Minister of Tourism, Dehrouyeh, the Economic Deputy Governor of Semnan, Ajm, the representative of the people of Shahroud and Miyami counties in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, and a group of national, provincial, and county officials, the bilingual "Qaleh Bala Village Branding" website was unveiled. The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Semnan Province added: The terraced village of Qaleh Bala is one of the candidates for world registration, and the launch of this bilingual website in Persian and English is considered a strategic step to introduce the capacities of this village internationally. He stated that this project is the result of extensive teamwork, adding: In the process of designing and producing the content of this website, the capacity of more than 200 people was used to accurately and documentarily introduce all the indicators required for world registration. Tajik pointed out the existence of nine main indicators for the world registration of villages, stating: Efforts were made to develop the website content based on these indicators, including natural and cultural assets, preservation and promotion of cultural resources, and economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts of Semnan Province explained: Tourism development and value chain, governance and tourism priorities, infrastructure and communications, health, safety, and security are also among the important criteria in the evaluation process and scoring for world registration, which have been addressed on this website. He noted the prominent capacities of Qaleh Bala village, stating: This historic village, located 21 kilometers from Biyardjmand and east of Shahroud county, is situated in a foothill region. Its unique terraced architecture, along with its proximity to the Turan Protected Area, the preservation of its historical texture, and the abundance of ecotourism accommodations, have made it one of the important tourist destinations for domestic and foreign tourists. Tajik emphasized: Qaleh Bala is currently Iran's top choice for world registration by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the holding of the second National Ecotourism Festival from May 19 to 21, 2026, with the presence of national, provincial, and local officials in this village, indicates its special position in sustainable tourism.