TEHRAN – Local authorities in close collaboration with the private sector have prepared a plan to buttress tourism infrastructure across the coastlines of Chabahar and Konarak in Sistan-Baluchestan province.

“Private investors will be supported in their tourism-related projects by the province's Culture, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, including setting up tourist complexes as well as accommodation centers,” CHTN quoted provincial tourism chief Alireza Jalalzai as saying on Saturday. 

Investors have also committed to operating the projects within a year, the official added. 

Chabahar is the only ocean port in Iran and the best and easiest access route of the middle Asian countries to free waters. Boasting various natural and historical attractions, Chabahar could be named as one of the most underrated destinations in Iran. However, in recent years various measures have been taken to promote the port as a safe and hospitable choice for both domestic and foreign visitors.

In 2019 the High Council of Free Trade Zones announced that it is ready to start construction of a new airport inside the Chabahar free trade zone. Currently, air travelers to Chabahar need to use the airport of Konarak city.

Currently, there are some 20 tourist resorts in Chabahar, including four hotels and eco-lodges. The collective province -- Sistan in the north and Baluchestan in the south -- accounts for one of the driest regions of Iran with a slight increase in rainfall from east to west, and an obvious rise in humidity in the coastal regions. In ancient times, the region was a crossword of the Indus Valley and the Babylonian civilizations.

The vast province is home to several distinctive archaeological sites and natural attractions, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites, namely Shahr-e-Soukhteh (Burnt City) and Lut desert.

ABU/AFM