TEHRAN – In preparation for the Noruz holidays, which start on March 21, the Persian Gulf island of Kish in southern Iran is getting ready to welcome visitors from across the country.

It is estimated that Kish will receive 237,000 tourists during this period, based on all the existing infrastructure, facilities and services, including hotels and passenger camps and tourism services, a local tourism official has said.

Some 30 percent of travelers stayed in hotels last year, and the rest stayed in travelers’ camps, guesthouses, and homes of island residents, IRNA quoted Morteza Ramezani as saying on Tuesday.

With the cooperation of the hotelier community, better services will be provided in these centers this year, the official added.

During the Noruz holiday, there will be more than 50 hotels on this island that can accommodate 20,000 passengers every day, he noted.

Amongst the Persian Gulf islands, Kish is the more luxurious and developed. Except for its unique nature, such as its waters and shallow beaches, the tourist attractions of this charming island are due to its rich historical background as well as its kind and hospitable people.

The pristine and beautiful nature, the meeting of land and sea, the clear sky, the pleasant air, and the pleasurable reverberation of the waves create such a sense of calm that one cannot even distinguish between imagination and reality.

Nowadays, about one million foreign and domestic tourists travel to the island every year and it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iran as it has magnificent attractions such as Kariz Underground City, Harireh Ancient City, Marjan Beach, Bird Garden, Ocean theme park, and Grand Recreational Pier.

ABU/AM