Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Qazvin’s First Five-Star Hotel with ۴.۵ Trillion Rial Investment

According to Sama news agency, the official groundbreaking ceremony for Qazvin Province’s first five-star hotel and tourism complex, named “Alamut,” took place on Tuesday evening, September 9, in the presence of Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts; Ayatollah Hossein Mofazeri, the Supreme Leader’s representative in the province; and a number of local officials. The event, long-awaited for years, marks a turning point in the region’s tourism and investment landscape.

The project’s first phase will be built on approximately four hectares of land, with a total of eight hectares already acquired for the entire development. The allocated budget for the project stands at 4.5 trillion tomans (equivalent to 1,500 billion tomans).

Project Details and Complementary Plans

Amir Monsef, the project manager and a member of the Board of Directors of the Qazvin Chamber of Commerce, announced at the ceremony that excavation work has officially begun. He emphasized that this is not merely a conventional hotel but a comprehensive tourism destination featuring diverse recreational, service, accommodation, and welfare facilities.

Monsef also revealed that serious efforts are underway to obtain an air-taxi license for the complex. “Our goal is to launch the first air-taxi service in Qazvin Province and even neighboring provinces,” he said. “This will significantly improve tourist access to the region.”

The project manager extended his gratitude to the Governor of Qazvin, the Director General of Cultural Heritage, and parliamentary representatives for their continued support, adding, “Everyone who has helped us along this journey deserves recognition.”

Investment Incentives in Tourism

In his address, Minister Salehi-Amiri described tourism as a primary driver of global development and criticized past neglect of the sector. “A country that has oil, petrochemicals, and steel does not concern itself with tourism—and this mindset must change as a new strategic approach,” he stated.

Referring to the UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Alamut Fortress, he called the naming of the hotel a wise and symbolic move. “Alamut has been registered as Iran’s 30th World Heritage site in the past century. Today belongs to Qazvin and Alamut, and this hotel can serve as a bridge between history and modern tourism development,” he added.

Salehi-Amiri highlighted Qazvin’s exceptional cultural and civilizational assets and lamented the severe shortage of hotels in the province. “I regret to say that Qazvin should have at least ten five-star hotels, but currently it has none,” he said bluntly.

The minister further noted that Qazvin possesses all the attractions needed to draw both domestic and international tourists, and he cited security as one of the province’s key competitive advantages, calling it one of the safest regions in the country.

Salehi-Amiri also announced the approval of five investment incentives for the tourism sector at the national level. “One of the most important is an 80% discount on municipal fees for hotel construction, with the remaining 20% collected five years after the hotel becomes operational,” he explained. “So far, 80 major cities across Iran have joined this initiative, and the Governor of Qazvin has confirmed that the city’s new mayor is approaching the matter with a fresh perspective.”

Emphasis on Infrastructure, Education, and Culture

During the ceremony, Ayatollah Hossein Mofazeri, the Supreme Leader’s representative in Qazvin Province, described tourism as a valuable opportunity for local residents and the province at large. “If managed properly, mutual interaction with people around the world can be highly beneficial and contribute to the cultural and economic development of the region,” he said.

He stressed that achieving this goal requires a range of prerequisites, with infrastructure being the foremost need for Qazvin’s tourism growth. “We must not forget that the start of construction on the Alamut Hotel is an effective step in this direction,” he added.

The Friday prayer leader of Qazvin also placed special emphasis on two other pillars: education and culture. “Training local residents, especially villagers, is essential to make proper use of tourism opportunities,” he said. “Incorporating a cultural component into this tourism cycle is an unavoidable necessity.”

Ayatollah Mofazeri noted: “In our mutual engagement with the world, we must present our valuable national and religious culture while also benefiting from the positive aspects of other cultures and safeguarding against potential harms.”

He added that this process must ultimately elevate the cultural and economic level of the region and its people, and he called for cooperation, foresight, and determination from all officials. He expressed hope that with precise planning and practical action, the province would witness a flourishing tourism sector in the years to come.