Work will soon begin on an ambitious marine tourism project in the port city of Bandar-e-Gaz in Golestan Province, with an estimated investment of 2.1 trillion rials ($60 million).
Investors include foreign entrepreneurs and private Iranian financiers, Mana reported.
Officials are banking on the province's marine tourism potential to jumpstart the local economy. According to Ahmad Tajari, deputy head of investment affairs at the provincial office of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization, the financial support will enable the authorities to equip the city's coastline with camping areas, restrooms and recreational facilities.
Tajari said a large portion of the investment comes from private investors while the rest will be supplied through bank loans. He did not disclose specific figures.
He noted that the project covers 28 hectares and will create jobs for over 300 people, adding that the current investment is far from sufficient to complete the project and $57 million are needed to ensure the project's completion.
Calling it the most massive tourism project implemented in northern Iran, Tajari said it will foment a revolution in tourism industry.
Bandar-e-Gaz is situated in the southeastern fringes of Gorgan Bay, about 20 kilometers south of Bandar Torkaman and 48 km from Gorgan. Statistics published by the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development show that the number of marine travelers has been rising in the past few years.
Over 7.2 million passengers used the county’s ports in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started March 20), which shows a 1.6% increase compared with the same period of last year.
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