TEHRAN – A festival dedicated to hydro tourism was held in southwestern Bushehr province on Friday, the deputy provincial tourism chief has said. 

Participants competed in wakeboarding, Frisbee, beach volleyball, and jet skiing among 11 other sports fields, Vahid Jamali explained on Saturday. 

A handicrafts market was also set up on the sidelines of the festival, the official added. 

Earlier this month, Bushehr’s tourism chief Esmaeil Sajadimanesh announced that the province’s tourism directorate seeks to develop water games and sports.

Bushehr tourism enjoys a vast potential for water games as it lies on the shores of the Persian Gulf, he noted.

Private sector investors are welcomed and supported in this sector, the official added. 

Despite its arid climate, Iran’s tourism sector has tried to boost hydro tourism or water tourism in recent years.

This branch of tourism involves traveling to places specifically to take part in water-based activities. Some individuals who do not wish to partake in water-related activities embark on water tourism trips so that they can visit tourist sites that sit close to bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, dams, oceans, etc.

While water tourism often includes active chases, some water tourists visit islands and shore regions to join more relaxed pursuits such as diving or swimming. Travel businesses organize tours of coral reefs and arrange for local tour guides to preside over excursions on which travelers can swim with local marine life such as dolphins or even sharks. Some tour operators also cater to families who are primarily focused on swimming and tanning rather than interacting with aquatic life.

Water trips occasionally involve inland destinations such as lakes and rivers. Holidaymakers can sail or swim on lakes while many rivers are ideally suited to white water rafting. Additionally, some leisure businesses operate water parks that contain swimming pools, water slides, and areas for kayaking or canoeing.

ABU/AFM