TEHRAN – A direct shipping line between the port city of Bandar Abbas and Hengam Island in southern Hormozgan province started operation on Saturday, a local official has said.

To serve the tourists and travelers during the Noruz holidays (starting on March 21) more properly, the shipping route between Bandar Abbas and Hengam Island was launched, Hamidreza Mohammad-Hosseini explained on Tuesday.

The sea travel to Hengam Island had been only possible through Qeshm Island, but now and with this new shipping route, more tourists could enjoy the unique attractions and maritime tourism capacities of the tiny island, the official added.

Developing tourism on the island could lead to economic prosperity and boost the livelihood of the residents of the island, he noted.

Earlier this month, the provincial tourism chief announced that sea tours would be offered by this shipping line to promote maritime tourism in this region.

During these tours, cultural and musical programs would be performed for travelers and tourists and coastal and maritime capacities would be explained by experienced tour guides, the official added.

Sea tours aim to attract tourists to the province as well as to educate them about the maritime capacities of the province, he noted.

Touring the islands can benefit local communities and residents, as well as provide jobs for the locals, 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.

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.

Last 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 were also among the topics of the agreement.

ABU/AM