TEHRAN –A cruise ship has docked in Noshahr port, northern Mazandaran province for the first time, the deputy provincial tourism chief has announced.

A privately owned two-deck ship entered Noshahr port this month, and will be made available to tourists for the upcoming Iranian new year holiday (starting in March 2023) after Mazandaran province’s coastal area being equipped, IRNA quoted Mehran Hassani as saying on Tuesday.

It has a capacity of at least 70 passengers, catering for at least 25 people, a jet ski, and is approximately 20 meters long, five meters wide, and weighs 20 tons, he explained.

Having been constructed in 2012, it has areas designed for holding all kinds of celebrations, and it can travel about 50 km per hour along the coast of Mazandaran along the Caspian Sea, he noted.

The docking of cruise ships in these coastal areas could boost maritime tourism and develop tourism infrastructure, he mentioned.

Back in August, the tourism minister Ezzatollah Zarghami announced that there would be an acceleration in the development of maritime tourism.

Fuel subsidies will be allocated to cruise ships, which will lead to a reduction in sea travel costs and a rise in maritime tourism, the minister said.

With this subsidy, fuel consumption for a cruise with 1,000 passengers will be reduced from 600 billion rials ($2 million) to 500 million rials ($1,700), he explained.

Coastal and maritime tourism

Over the past couple of years, the Islamic Republic has made various efforts to exploit maritime tourism potential by developing hospitality infrastructures, diversifying sea routes, and drawing private sector investors along its vast southern coasts.

Prosperous maritime tourism could help the country to meet its ambitious target of attracting 20 million annual tourists by 2025. It also keeps an eye on tourism developments in the Caspian Sea in the north.

Back in February, the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Transport and Urban Development signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop maritime tourism and make the best use of its potential on the southern and northern coasts of the country.

Promoting the culture of using the sea as a tool to increase social vitality, developing coastal activities in the form of environmentally friendly plans and programs, and creating the necessary grounds for cooperation and exchange of knowledge and information was also among the topics of the agreement.

ABU/AM