TEHRAN, Iran — Off-road driving as well as tours of the desert, mountains and forests have become popular pastimes for youths in Iran. The phenomenon particularly applies to those from more affluent backgrounds, who often embark on journeys to the desert in their upscale vehicles. To become better acquainted with desert tourism and off-road driving in Iran, Al-Monitor spoke to Mohammad Ali Majdabadi, a veteran in the trade.
Driving his Mitsubishi, Prado or another one of his collection of vehicles, Majdabadi has been going on tours of Iran’s deserts for about a decade. Commenting on how ecotourism began to take form in Iran, he told Al-Monitor, “This topic [ecotourism] goes back 40 years when rich people began exploring the more difficult routes with their fancy American vehicles, like Cherokees, Range Rovers and Blazers, for hunting, desert trekking and fishing. The new trend, however, is about 10 years old with the past five years seeing the establishment of regular tours. Initially, these tour groups were for those who wanted an adventurous trip in nature, but have since become a source of business.”