TEHRAN—Khuzestan province is becoming Iran's coastal and river tourism hub, said Seyyed Mohammadreza Mavalizadeh, the province’s governor-general.

According to Miras Arya (CHTN), speaking at a coastal tourism session which was held with participation of Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, Mavalizadeh divided the province's climate into three parts: mountainous, plain, and maritime.

“Each of these areas has unique potential for tourism development; the province's rich historical and cultural background in the Zagros mountainous regions, the existence of the ancient civilizations of Susa and Ilam, and the cultural diversity of different ethnic groups are among the advantages of Khuzestan's tourism. In addition, the Karun River from Dezful and Shushtar to Ahvaz has unique potential for tourism development.”

Referring to the President's recent visit to the Karun River, the Khuzestan governor-general stated: “The proposal to establish hotels, restaurants, and recreational facilities such as jet skiing in this area is under consideration. The Karun River bank can become the central core of Ahvaz's tourism.”

Pointing to the challenges regarding the river privacy, he said, “In coordination with relevant agencies, we must redefine the boundaries of riverbeds to enable tourism development.”

“In the current situation, we must use the opportunity to develop tourism on the banks of the rivers. Creating recreational facilities, holding cultural and artistic programs, and developing water games can turn the banks of the Karun River in Ahvaz into a tourism hub, the positive effects of which will spread to the entire province.”

Mavalizadeh then pointed to other capacities in the province and said: “There are similar capacities around the Karkheh, Marun, and Jarahi rivers; plans to transform Minoo Island into a complete tourist destination and the possibility of removing border restrictions and changing the use of this island for better use by families are being considered.”

Pointing to the marine tourism in Arvand Kenar, Shadegan, Mahshahr, and Hendijan, he said that water tourism potential exists in almost all cities in the province. The issue of tourism diplomacy and plans to develop water traffic between Khorramshahr and Basra are also being pursued, he added.

On launching Khorramshahr-Basra shipping line for transporting pilgrims in the last two years, he said, “With allocation of subsidized fuel to this line and developing it, we can develop daily tourism between the two cities, so that people can go to Basra by boat in the morning, and after sightseeing and shopping, return to Khorramshahr in the evening.”

Referring to the possibility of developing tourism diplomacy with the Persian Gulf Arab countries, he said that these connections can be effective in strengthening relations with countries such as Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE and Oman. 
 

KD