TEHRAN – Head of Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) has said the country’s passenger maritime transportation capacity is going to reach 25 million people per year by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20), ILNA reported.

“The passenger transportation capacity of the northern and southern ports of the country is currently 24.8 million people per year, and considering the ongoing development projects in the mentioned regions, this figure will reach 25 million people by the end of the current year,” Mohammad Rastad said.

Speaking in a ceremony for signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Transport and Urban Development Ministry and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism for the development of coastal and maritime tourism, Rastad noted that there are currently 57 passenger ships with a total capacity of 7,500 people operating in the country's ports, most of which are sailing in a route between southern Bandar Abbas and Qeshm Islands.

There are also 12,000 registered boats, 500 of which are operated by marine clubs, the official said.

He further noted that in addition to the mentioned passenger boats, ships and fairies, there are 50 landing crafts operating in the country's ports; these landing crafts have a total capacity for transporting 2,500 cars and 8,000 passengers.

The mentioned landing crafts mainly transport passengers and cars from the mainland to Qeshm Island in the southern Hormozgan Province; such vessels are also operating in other coastal areas, including Kish, and also between Genaveh and Khark, according to the official.

Having about 5800 kilometers of coastline in the north and south of the country, Iran has great capacities in terms of natural attractions of maritime tourism in the region and the world.

Despite the restrictions and limitations created by the outbreak of the coronavirus, Iranian ports managed to attract 3.57 trillion rials (over $85 million) of investment in the first quarter of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20-June 20, 2020).

The mentioned investments were done mainly with the aim of developing and maintaining infrastructure and equipping ports.

PMO also implemented or studied over 580 projects worth 151.025 trillion rials (about $3.59 billion) in the mentioned period.

The construction of six floating wharves for passengers and tourism in Soheili and Gurzin ports in Qeshm and Hengam Islands, and continuing the third phase of Shahid Rajaei port’s development project are also among the PMO achievements in the first quarter.

EF/MA