TEHRAN – Over 3.4 million travelers arrived in Hormozgan province during the Persian New Year (Noruz) holidays (March 21-April 2), the provincial tourism chief has said. 

“A total of 3,436,853 trippers visited the southern province during the two-week period”, Sohrab Banavand explained on Tuesday. 

He also noted that some 100 handicrafts markets were launched across the province during the mentioned time to introduce local traditional arts to the tourists and visitors. 

Earlier in March, the province’s governor has announced up to five million travelers are estimated to visit the province in Noruz. 

“There will be a lot of travelers in the province over the upcoming holidays, roughly three to five million people, and in this regard, there should be an increased monitoring process,” Mehdi Dusti said. 

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.

Hormuz, which is mostly barren and hilly, is situated some eight kilometers off the coast of 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