Seven tourist villages are set to be established along Iran’s Makran Coast in the south, according to the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO) and Vice President Masoud Soltanifar, Khabaronline reported.
“Iran’s diverse climate allows us to experience all four seasons. From a western tourist’s perspective, this is an attractive feature,” Soltanifar said, referring to Chabahar, Sistan and Baluchestan Province as an example of a region where all four seasons occur.
Soltanifer lamented the lack of tourist facilities, specifically holiday resorts, along the country’s southern coastal strip which extends for 3000 km, noting that Iran’s southern neighbors have accomplished far more with far less natural beauty.
“The climate is harsher in the southern coasts of the Persian Gulf, yet other countries with access to the same body of water have managed to reap benefits.”
He continued, “From Gwadar Bay in the southeast to Khuzestan Province in the southwest, we have a long coastal line which we ought to use to its maximum potential.”
He also said that while spring and summer are considered holiday seasons, with the establishment of proper facilities in the south “we will be able to remind people that taking holidays is not exclusive to the warmer seasons.”
Resort Facilities
The ICHHTO, in cooperation with the Land Affairs Organization of Iran, has surveyed the area and produced aerial maps of the region. According to Soltanifar, 500 hectares of state-owned land have the potential to be used for the establishment of holiday resorts.
The resorts will be equipped with villas and different types of hotels. Tourists will also be able to take advantage of tennis courts, golf courses, and other land- and sea-related activities.
Chabahar Potential
Located in southeastern Iran on the coast of Gulf of Oman, the port city of Chahbahar is Iran’s southernmost city. Despite its geographical position, Chabahar is Iran’s coolest southern port in the summer, thanks to summer monsoon winds from the Subcontinent.
The city’s name, which means ‘Four Springs’ in Farsi, is a nod to the fact that Chabahar experiences all four seasons throughout the year.
Chabahar is home to a plethora of natural and historical structures, making the development of this free port for tourism purposes all the more appropriate.
Alongside the Gwadar Bay lies the Hara Jungle - a mangrove forest - replete with diverse species of seabirds such as flamingos and herons.
Stretching parallel to the Makran Coast, from Kachoo village up to the proximity of Gwadar Bay, are the mesmerizing Martian Mounts, a type of badlands. These mounts are regarded as the symbols of Chabahar’s unique geomorphology.
About 9 km north of Chabahar, on the mouth of Chabahar Gulf, is the historical port village of Tis.
The village used to be the commercial center for sugar and wheat back in the fourth century of Hijra (Islamic calendar), and has been mentioned numerous times in the works of historians during the first century.
It is indeed very likely that cooperation between the ICHHTO and the private sector will turn the Makran Coast into one of Iran’s most sought-after tourist destinations, providing visitors with a reprieve from the hustle and bustle of daily life and, in return, boosting the economy.
