TEHRAN – Sightseeing tours along sections of the ancient spice route located in Iran have been officially added to the country’s tourism calendar, a move aimed at highlighting Iran’s historical role in regional and global trade networks, a local tourism official said on Sunday.

The official said the historic spice route is among the world’s oldest trade corridors and played a key role in economic, cultural and civilizational exchanges between East and West. Hormozgan province, due to its strategic geographic location and historic ports, has long been one of the main hubs along this route.

The registration is expected to help promote the historical, cultural and tourism capacities of Hormozgan at national and international levels, and to support the development of cultural, maritime and route-based tourism in the province, CHTN reported.

The event focuses on reviving historical trade routes and will include programs introducing coastal cities and ports, traditional rituals, local cuisine, music and handicrafts linked to the historic spice trade, creating opportunities for participation by local communities and tourism stakeholders.

According to the official, developing event-based tourism centered on historical routes is a key policy of the provincial tourism authority, and the “historic spice route” is expected to play a significant role in presenting Hormozgan as a gateway of Iran’s historical interactions with the wider world.

Iran’s southern coast historically formed part of major maritime trade networks linking Asia, Africa and Europe. Historical records show that combined land and sea routes connecting Iran with India, Sri Lanka and other regions were active more than 2,000 years ago, later expanding into what became known as the maritime spice routes, which facilitated the exchange of goods, cultures and technologies across the Indian Ocean.

AM