TEHRAN –Iran’s southern province of Hormozgan has considerable potential to become one of the tourism hubs of the country, the tourism minister has said.

With its unique God-given capabilities, wealth, and impressive natural advantages, Hormozgan can become a tourism hub, Ezzatollah Zarghami explained on Thursday.

To reach this point, tourism infrastructure in the region needs to be developed, he noted.

Private sector investors need to be encouraged to invest in the province’s tourism sector as well, he mentioned.

Bordering the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman on the south and bounded by Bushehr and Fars provinces on the west and northwest, Kerman on the east and northeast, and Sistan-Baluchestan on the southeast, 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 the 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 of the Strait of Hormuz, which attracts many tourists through its colorful mountains, silver sand shores, and great local people.

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

Qeshm Island is 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/AM