At the time of Reza Shah, infrastructure development and security in the country have facilitated travel requirements. The first official organizations associated with tourism were established. Mazandaran was among the first destinations, which were developed in this period. According to Amirsharifi, the construction of a summer palace of Reza Shah in Kelardasht coincided with the building of villas in different parts of the Alborz and in Mazandaran (cited in Ghadami, 2007). The number of tourists was limited and mainly restricted to members of the upper classes and senior officers of the Army or the court. Since the 1960s, however, with an increase in relative income of middle classes in Iran, the number of tourists in Mazandaran gradually increased. The coastline strip of the Caspian Sea became the most important destination for domestic tourism in the country and swimming was the main activity for tourists. A significant number of coastal resorts and accommodation establishments were developed in Babolsar, Ramsar, Chalous, Mahmoudabad and Farahabad. After the Islamic revolution, many sectors including tourism experienced a dramatic stagnation that interrupted the growing trend of tourism in Iran. Domestic travel patterns were changed considerably.
