TEHRAN – The Iranian islands of Kish and Qeshm are ready to welcome visitors and participants of the Dubai Expo 2020, which will be held from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, the deputy tourism minister has announced.  

Dubai’s short distance from Iran’s southern cities and islands means that expo visitors and foreign tourists can easily travel to and enter the country’s free zones during the six-month event, ILNA quoted Vali Teymouri as saying on Sunday. 

However, due to the current closure of the borders, the tourism ministry proposed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that visa facilitation be considered in order to support and benefit the private sector and tourism activists, the official explained. 

Considering more than 192 countries participating and more than 25 million visitors anticipated, the expo would be a great opportunity to promote Iranian tourism, he added.

Back in June, the official announced that Iran’s pavilion at Expo is planned to showcase each province’s strengths and assets in tourism, cultural heritage, handicrafts, as well as its natural sites, traditional ceremonial practices, and historical significance.

The official noted that Iran will attend the event with the motto of “Iran, An Ancient and Stable Civilization with a Diversity of Ethnicities” to introduce the Iranian rich culture to the visitors. 

Taking part in the Expo is also intended to promote economic, social, and cultural links with the countries attending the event, he mentioned. 

Expo 2020 originally was scheduled for October 20, 2020 –April 10, 2021, but due to the outbreaks of the coronavirus, the event has been postponed. However, the organizers keep the name Expo 2020 for marketing and branding purposes.

Throughout the years, World Expos have been global events dedicated to sharing top-notch innovation, showcasing ground-breaking inventions, and discovering resolutions to fundamental challenges by facing humanity. They are organized every five years and last for six months.

Known as the province of islands, Hormozgan province is located on the northern coasts of the Persian Gulf. It embraces scenic islands among which Kish, Hormuz, Hengam, and Qeshm are the most beautiful ones and top tourist destinations in southern Iran.

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.

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.

Experts expect Iran to achieve a tourism boom after coronavirus contained, believing its impact would be temporary and short-lived for a country that ranked the third fastest-growing tourism destination in 2019.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 24 being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, Iran aims to increase the number of tourist arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2025.

ABU/AFM