The mayor of Qom says one of the important priorities of the urban management section in the current situation is to try to increase the number of pilgrims and travelers entering the city and their stay time.
Dr. Seyyed Morteza Saghaiannejad made the remarks in the Provincial Meeting of the National Pilgrimage Working Group which was held at the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (AS).
He stated that Qom faces problems in the field of the accommodation of Iranian pilgrims and organizing foreign pilgrims.
During the mid-Shaban holidays, 160 hectares of temporary parking lots were created around the Holy Mosque of Jamkaran, while the surrounding lands can be turned into permanent public parking lots, he added.
The mayor went on to say that more than 20 million pilgrims and travelers enter the city of Qom annually.
The stay time of the pilgrims entering Qom is between 5 to 7 hours due to the weakness in the accommodation, tourism, and service infrastructure, Saghaiannejad reiterated.
The executive bodies, despite the services they provide, do not have a share in the high volume of passengers and pilgrims entering Qom, he added.
He concluded that Qom has not been able to plan for the pilgrim institutions, one of the important factors is the lack of necessary funds in this regard and authorities should pay special attention to resolving this issue.