25% Reduction in Kish Island Travel Costs

The average price of a trip to Kish, Iran's popular Persian Gulf island, has declined by 25%, a senior official at Kish Free Zone Organization said.

Alireza Qaedian, deputy for tourism at KFZ, added that the reduction has been undertaken jointly by the Tourism Department of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and related guilds and associations to develop tourism on the island, ISNA reported.

"A 30% reduction in room prices is offered by hoteliers and the cost of restaurant dishes is down 20%, thanks to the efforts of guild associations," he said.

"The officials are also in final talks to increase Kish Airline's flights linking the island to more destinations throughout the country," he said.

"The new flights are set to link Kish with Hamedan, Kashan, Zahedan, Abadan, Dezful, Ardebil, Sanandaj and Urmia."

Emphasizing the necessity of developing ties with neighboring countries to improve tourism and commercial relations, Qaedian noted that direct two-way Kish-Muscat flights will be launched by Kish Airline by late February.

A new route between Kish and Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, has recently been launched by Iraqi Airways. Its first flight landed on the island on Friday carrying 70 passengers in a CRY-900 jet.

"The increase in reservations could generate enough revenue to fully compensate the discounts given to travelers," he said.

According to the official, preparing an event-oriented tourism plan is necessary to increase travel motivations.

 "We will need an events calendar, introducing cultural, art, sport, exhibition, commercial and recreational events to be held on the island to attract a wide range of travelers," Qaedian said.

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

Tapping into the potential, a two-month shopping festival is currently underway and will continue through April 9 on the island. The shopping festival is held in collaboration with Kish Merchants' Association, Kish International Convention Center and Parsian Enterprise Community Partners, offering special discounts and the opportunity to join the festival's customers club.

Kish attracts some 2 million visitors per year, most of whom are residents of Tehran hoping to escape the horrendous traffic and pollution of the capital.