TEHRAN – Hormozgan is set to develop its infrastructure for tourists and offer a variety of activities for them to undertake as the southern Iranian province seeks to become a major travel destination.  

“Tourism infrastructures are planned to be created and boosted in three tourist areas across the southern Iranian province of Hormozgan,” provincial tourism chief, Reza Borumand, said on Tuesday.

A budget of 8.3 billion rials (about $198,000 at the official rate of 42,000 rials) has been allocated to the development of the tourism infrastructures in the tourist areas of Kuh-e Geno, Seyyed Sultan Mohammad, and Bandzark, which are scattered across the province, Reza Borumand said on Tuesday. 

The budget will be spent on constructing and improving welfare facilities for the tourists in these areas, the official explained. 

Situated on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf, Hormozgan is widely renowned for having incredible culture and heritage, stunning sceneries, and above all, its warm and hospitable people. 

It embraces arrays of islands among which Kish, Hormuz, Hengam, and Qeshm are the most popular ones and top tourist destinations in southernmost parts of the country. 

Over the past couple of decades, the coral Kish Island has become a beach resort where visitors can swim, shop, and sample a laid-back and relatively liberated local lifestyle. It is home to free-trade-zone status, with ever-growing hotels, shopping centers, apartment blocks, and retail complexes.

Hormuz, which is mostly barren and hilly, is situated some eight kilometers off the coast on the Strait of Hormuz, which attracts many tourists by its colorful mountains, silver sand shores, and great local people.

Hengam Island has scenery rocky shores, serene sunset, and kind natives, which can attract travelers who enjoy a relaxing trip by spending time on this tranquil island.

Qeshm Island is a heaven for eco-tourists as it embraces wide-ranging attractions such as the Hara marine forests and about 60 villages dotted mostly across its rocky coastlines. The island also features geologically eye-catching canyons, hills, caves, and valleys, most of which are protected as part of the UNESCO-tagged Qeshm Island Geopark, itself a haven for nature-lovers.

ABU/AFM