Kish Island has a strong wealth of tourist attractions to offer and a great potential to grow, according to Rasoul Keshtpour, top advisor to the CEO of Kish Free Zone Organization.
In a meeting attended by representatives of 50 tour operators and travel agencies to develop sale avenues of Kish Island’s Marina Park Hotel, Keshtpour stressed the importance of promoting the island’s attractions and better planning in terms of infrastructure and security, IRNA reported.
He pointed to projects to expand transportation modes linking the island, saying increased access to Kish Island via waterways could draw more tourists and boost revenue.
Also attending the meeting was general manager of Marina Park Hotel, Mohammad Reza Jabbaripour, who called for efforts to draw more tourists during summer.
“The island’s economy is dependent on tourism, since that is the only active industry here,” he said.
The hotelier urged travel agents to look beyond domestic tourists and start promoting Kish Island abroad to attract foreign tourists. He said 1.5 million Iranians visit the island every year.
Jabbaripour cited crippling Western-imposed sanctions, poor online flight and hotel booking systems and the lack of a comprehensive online database introducing the island’s attractions as the underlying causes of Kish’s poor tourism industry.
He said it is crucial to emulate popular international tourist destinations to boost tourism, adding that developing infrastructure, establishing international relations and devising effective marketing schemes would go a long in helping the island realize its tourism potential.
