Kish Tourism Projects Inaugurated

In a busy day for First Vice President Es’haq Jahangiri, numerous tourism projects were inaugurated on Kish Island on Monday, as efforts to develop the Persian Gulf island’s travel sector continue.

Jahangiri, who pointed to tourism during his presidential campaign in May as one of the most effective ways to develop the economy, inaugurated Vida Hotel, the latest five-star establishment in Kish, the official website of Kish Free Trade Zone Organization reported.

Built at a cost of 1.74 trillion rials ($46 million), the 144-room hotel has helped create 120 jobs. The recreational complex Avaye Khalij-e-Fars (Persian: Sound of the Persian Gulf) was the next property opened by the first vice president. The complex has a food court, restaurant, playground and a 1,500-seat concert hall. The complex is not fully operational yet. On Monday, the first phase, which was jointly funded by a German firm and private Iranian investors, was opened.

The second phase is expected to launch in the Iranian month of Shahrivar (Aug. 23- Sept. 22). Officials say the complex has the potential to generate 300 jobs.

The third project, called Marina, is a seaside recreational center offering a variety of marine activities. Kish is a 91.5-square-kilometer resort island in the Persian Gulf, located just south of Hormozgan Province. Due to its free trade zone status, it is touted as a consumer’s paradise, with numerous malls, shopping centers, tourist attractions and resort hotels.

The island was ranked among the world’s 10 most beautiful islands by The New York Times in 2010. Kish attracts some 1.8 million visitors per year, mostly Tehranis hoping to escape the capital city’s horrendous traffic and pollution. The aim is to reach 2.6 million annual visitors by 2026.

Shopping is another big draw, as Kish was the first and most significant of seven free-trade zones set up during the 1990s to attract investment and help import consumer goods.

The country’s short-term plan for Kish includes turning the island into a halal and health tourism hub in the region to rival Dubai, which is only 200 kilometers across the Persian Gulf.