Nowruz Holidays and Travel Challenges during the Pahlavi II Era (Case Study: Ettela’at Newspaper, 1976–1978)

Document Type : Research Paper I Open Access I Released under (CC BY-NC 4.0) license

Authors

1 Department of History, Faculty of Social Science. University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

10.22034/ihc.2025.67403.1059

Abstract

During the second Pahlavi era, rapid urban expansion, improvement of transportation infrastructure, and economic growth led to a rise in Nowruz travel across different social groups. The government, through development projects and media promotion, attempted to facilitate holiday travel and expand the tourism industry. However, the sharp increase in travel demand revealed infrastructural inadequacies, insufficient transportation capacity, poor management of public travel, and the emergence of black markets for tickets, all creating major policy challenges. Research Question: How did official media, especially Ettela’at newspaper, represent the challenges and socio-economic consequences of Nowruz travel during the holidays of 1976 and 1978? It is hypothesized that the media, particularly Ettela’at, predominantly highlighted infrastructural shortcomings, management weaknesses, and the emergence of black markets, while underlining the social consequences of mass travel. This study uses qualitative content analysis of Ettela’at’s Nowruz editions to examine media coverage of travel issues, the role of tourism in development plans, common transportation means, popular destinations, and institutional responses to these challenges. Findings show that, despite government planning, structural inadequacies and unpreparedness led media to focus on these deficiencies and their negative socio-economic impacts.

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Iranian History of Culture
Volume 2, Issue 1
Spring & Summer
March 2025
Pages 186-202

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 May 2025
  • Revise Date: 30 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 01 July 2025
  • Publish Date: 21 March 2025

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