Mazandaran has a tourism pressure problem that behaves exactly like early-stage overtourism. The province’s growth is too fast, planning is too slow, and environmental systems are already showing stress. The recommendations below are built directly from the literature and adapted to Mazandaran’s reality.
1. Strengthen Land-Use Regulation to Protect Hyrcanian Forest Edges
Why:
Safarrad et al. (2021) recorded 708% growth in built-up coastal areas since 1987.
The University of Luxembourg (2024) reports rapid farmland conversion to villas, deforestation, and biodiversity loss.
What Mazandaran should do:
- Map out no-build ecological protection zones around Hyrcanian forest borders, watersheds, slopes, and agricultural zones.
- Ban villa construction in ecologically sensitive zones (mirrors land-protection steps taken in Santorini and rural Czech regions).
- Require environmental impact assessments for all new (especially tourism) developments.
- Implement steep penalties for illegal land clearing.
Impact:
Would slow unregulated villa growth, reduce deforestation, protect biodiversity, and keep the forests intact as a tourism and enivronmental asset.
2. Introduce Carrying-Capacity Limits for Beaches, Forest Sites & Popular Towns
Why:
Tehran Times (2024) documented 3.1 million overnight stays in 10 days.
Inspired by:
Sagada (Loverio et al., 2023)
Macao (McCartney, 2020)
Santorini (Dodds & Butler, 2019)
What Mazandaran should do:
- Set daily capacity limits in terms of numbers and open to public hours for beaches, forest trails, wetlands, and popular villages.
- Require online registration or limited tickets entry for peak season.
- Use traffic counters, digital monitoring, and local representatives to keep flows manageable.
- Encourage “spread-out tourism” by promoting alternative towns and provinces (swap the 80/20 rule in tourism ie, 80% tourist go to 20% place).
Impact:
Reduces congestion, protects natural spaces, avoids damage to hotspots, and extends tourism benefits to lesser-visited areas.
3. Build a Multi-Stakeholder Tourism Council (Based on Sagada’s Model)
Why:
Solymannejad et al. (2022) showed weak governance, poor coordination, and low community participation as major barriers.
Sagada thrived because of stakeholder collaboration (Loverio et al., 2023).
What Mazandaran should do:
- Create a Mazandaran Tourism Council or authority with:
• Local government
• Environmental agencies
• Tourism businesses
• Community + agricultural reps
• Academic partners - Monthly meetings to share visitor numbers, waste data, environmental discussions
- Joint response plans for peak-season overload.
Impact:
Reduces fragmented planning, speeds up decisions, gives locals a voice, and ensures tourism policies are actually followed.
4. Balance Tourism Away from Overcrowded Coastal Areas
Why:
Safarrad et al. (2021) states construction along the coast.
Nouri et al. (2017) states there is poor site-selection and environmental strain from coastal tourism.
University of Luxembourg (2024) mentions rapid loss of farmland and wetlands.
What Mazandaran should do:
- Diversify tourism toward mountain villages, eco-lodges, rural farms, agro-tourism, volunteer-tourism.
- Promote “slow tourism,” homestays, and guided nature walks.
- Support community-led industries.
Impact:
Relieves pressure on the beaches, spreads economic benefits inland, and protects fragile coastlines.
5. Expand Waste & Environmental Management Systems
Why:
High visitor numbers means more solid waste, sewage stress, and pollution.
Sagada used its tour guide associations for environmental cleanup when the government lacked capacity (Loverio et al., 2023).
What Mazandaran should do:
- Build waste stations in peak zones.
- Introduce incentives for sorting and recycling.
- Organize community and tourist cleanup days.
- Monitor pollution using annual satellite data (as done by Safarrad et al.).
Impact:
Cleaner coastal and forest ecosystems, reduced disease risk, aligns with global sustainable tourism standards.
6. Create Sustainable Agritourism Through Support Programs
Why:
Solymannejad et al. (2022):
• Agritourism has high potential but barriers outweigh facilitators.
• Problems include poor marketing, legal restrictions, low community participation, weak education, and no clear strategy.
What Mazandaran should do:
- Simplify permits for agritourism businesses.
- Rebranding for Mazandaran to include farm experiences.
- Provide training on hospitality, marketing, and sustainable farming.
- Include farmers in tourism planning.
Impact:
Revives rural livelihoods, protects farmland, reduces villa conversion, and broadens tourism beyond crowded cities.
7. Adopt Soft Management Tools (Not Harsh Restrictions)
Why:
Macao’s taxation works for its context (McCartney, 2020), but Iran’s tourism culture isn’t built around entry fees or high taxes.
Alternatives:
- Seasonal price adjustments (higher rates in peak season).
- Time-restricted beach and forest access.
- Designated parking zones and shuttle services like in Banff, Canada.
- Promoting off-peak travel via popular media.
- Promoting other provinces in Iran for tourism for peak travel seasons.
Impact:
Manages congestion while keeping tourism accessible for domestic travelers and opening new places to explore.
8. Strengthen Cultural Preservation
Why:
University of Luxembourg (2024) highlights:
• Cultural erosion
• Language loss
• Shift toward villa culture
• Decline of traditional livelihoods
What Mazandaran should do:
- Document and promote local Mazani language and traditions.
- Create cultural routes (music, food, crafts).
- Support community-led festivals.
- Promote local storytelling through popular media and visitor centers.
Impact:
Keeps cultural heritage alive and makes tourism more meaningful.
9. Create Visitor Education on Nature, Culture, and Responsible Behavior
Why:
Tourism is growing faster than awareness.
Sagada showed that expectations set before arrival shape outcomes (Loverio et al.).
What Mazandaran should do:
- Launch “Respect Mazandaran” campaigns explaining:
• how fragile and valuable the Hyrcanian forests are
• cultural etiquette
• waste rules - Use popular media, and Tehran-based travel influencers.
- Add educational boards in beaches and forest zones.
- Aim to get locals and tourists care for their land; inspire environmental stewardship in them.
Impact:
Improves tourist behavior without needing strict enforcement.