TEHRAN—Iran’s Free Zones are prepared to receive Nowruz travelers.

Announcing this, Reza Masrour, secretary of the Iranian Free Zones High Council, said: “Our colleagues in free zones are trying to provide a satisfactory trip for the people,” IRNA reported.

Speaking at a meeting of the Traveling Services Coordination Headquarter which was held on Sunday evening and focused on upcoming Nowruz trips to the country's special economic zones, he stated: “Some say that travel increases productivity, but I say that a satisfactory trip increases productivity."

He added: “We had some problems in Nowruz this year, which have been resolved, and these problems will not be present in the upcoming Eid (the Persian New Year). Some infrastructure issues may not reach Eid, but arrangements must be made to minimize the shortcomings.”

Masrour stated: “Information is very effective in improving people’s satisfaction. I ask the Iranian Broadcasting Corporation to inform the people about these matters.”

He noted: “In some free areas, we have protected areas that are tourist destinations in the world. We can also earn foreign exchange from tourism in the protected areas with the cooperation of the Environmental Protection Organization.”

Also, Deputy Tourism Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpei stated: “A total of 27 organizations are present in the Traveling Services Coordination Headquarter, and this year, the deputy head of Department of Environment has also been added to the membership of this headquarters; meetings of this headquarters are held by member organizations to secure trips, improve and promote the travel services, and other matters.”

He added: “During last Nowruz holidays (March 2025), 36.6 million passengers traveled in the country.”

Mohseni-Bandpei said: “Travel is effective in promoting mental health and getting to know the culture of different regions. This year, we have registered 300 types of cuisines in Gilan province; families talk about Nowruz travel throughout the year. Traffic police, Ports and Maritime Organization, Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS), and medical emergency services are members of the Nowruz Travel Headquarters. Last Nowruz, 164 million liters of gasoline were consumed, but we had no shortage and fuel was provided at all stations.”

“For upcoming Nowruz, we started the first meeting in the free zones, and we hope to hold the final meeting in the same place to thank the members of the headquarters. The problems of the free zones were discussed in this meeting; the problems have been completely accounted for; we will also convey the problems to the government.”

The official stated: “Some 300 kilometers of coastal roads and 279 kilometers of coastal paths have been prepared in Qeshm; we had nine million sea tourists in the first 10 months of this year, and certainly, during Nowruz, there will be a significant increase in travel to the free zones of the south of the country.”

He continued: “We have an agenda to increase the number of passenger vessels and lifeguards. Two committees for coastal tourism management and maritime transport management have been established in the Nowruz Travel Headquarters. We have 5,800 kilometers of coastline, but less attention has been paid to these areas, and our compatriots travel to other countries with expensive foreign exchange to use the attractions of sea-based tourism.”

KD