TEHRAN – The tourism authorities of Khuzestan seek to promote water tourism in the southwestern province, the deputy provincial tourism has said.

“There have been efforts in this province to develop hydro tourism,” Peyman Nabahani said on Monday, ISNA reported.

Some nine recreational piers have been constructed surrounding the Shadegan wetland, as one of the main tourist attractions of the region, the official explained.

There are also plans to launch more prices in other parts of the province, where tourism capacity is high, he mentioned.

Creating efficient infrastructure for the expansion of educational and technological activities in the field of water tourism is also on the agenda, he added.

Launching a water taxi service as well as creating tourism sites in Abadan and Khorramshahr cities are also parts of the province’s tourism department’s plans, he noted.

Hydro tourism or water 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. Water tourists are regularly independent travelers, although some travel businesses do organize group trips.

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 whitewater rafting. Additionally, some leisure businesses operate water parks that contain swimming pools, water slides, and areas for kayaking or canoeing.

Khuzestan is home to three UNESCO World Heritage sites Susa, Tchogha Zanbil and Shushtar Historical Hydraulic System, yet it is a region of raw beauty that its visitors could spend weeks exploring. The province is also a cradle for handicrafts and arts whose crafters inherited from their preceding generations.

ABU/AM