No bars, no alcohol, seperate beaches.....Iran resort hopes relaxed rules will attract tourists

There are no bars or clubs, or any alcohol, men and women have to use different beaches there by splitting up families. But women are allowed to smoke, wear make up, have colorful head scarfs and have fancy heir do's. Men can wear shorts, and even go with out a shirt.

Iran is hoping to make the Kish island a major tourist destination because they have relaxed Islamic laws. Investments have poured in the resort and the gulf area,and hope to draw people from Dubai.

Is this going to win your vacation $ ?

I would imagine that the Kish is going to draw from local areas where people feel a little more relaxed and can have some fun.

Kish (Iran) (AFP) - Iranian investors are pouring money into Kish island in the Gulf, hoping its white sand beaches, coral reefs and more relaxed Islamic rules, could make it a major tourism destination.

From the pristine beaches of Kish, it is only 200 kilometres (120 miles) across the water to Dubai -- and it is the booming city state's tens of thousands of wealthy expats that the investors are hoping to lure.

The wide, palm tree-lined boulevards that circle the island of 100 square kilometres (nearly 40 square miles) are full of top-end cars, including luxury American models.

The buildings are modern, the hotels comfortable and new shopping centres are sprouting everywhere.

Diners pack late-night, roof-top restaurants. Women sit with cigarette in hand, wearing colourful headscarves pushed right back to reveal plenty of make-up and expensive hair-dos.

During the day, the men walk the long jetties in bermuda shorts -- forbidden in most parts of Iran. Under the warm autumn sun, one man is even shirtless.

A motorboat zooms past, techno music blaring, with men and women sitting together.

In many ways, it looks as if little has changed since the days when the shah and his family holidayed here before the Islamic revolution of 1979. The green and white cars of the morality police are rarely seen.

Still, even though Islamic rules are less strict on Kish, they are still in force -- creating a major obstacle for investors hoping to attract Western expats for short breaks from Dubai.

There are no bars or clubs -- or any alcohol at all -- while men and women must use separate beaches, splitting up families.

- 'Halal tourism' -

Massoud Gilani, an investment consultant who divides his time between Dubai and Kish, tries to put an optimistic spin on the issue.

Expats "can drink and enjoy themselves in Dubai and relax here," he said, rather hopefully.

Iran is in the midst of a tourism boom, thanks to the efforts of the current moderate government under President Hassan Rouhani to rebuild ties with the West.

Visitor numbers have leapt from 2.2 million a year in 2009 to 5.2 million in 2015, the government says, and an even bigger increase is expected this year.

But most Westerners are drawn by Iran's ancient cities and historical treasures, rather than a beach break.

Ali Jirofti, one of the managers of Kish's free trade zone, recognises that the island's best hope is to focus on Muslim holidaymakers.

The priority is "high-end halal tourism," he said.

Kish already attracts some 1.8 million visitors per year, mostly Tehranis hoping to escape not just social strictures but also the horrendous traffic and pollution of the capital.

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

There are now some 40 hotels, and US-style malls are everywhere.

The company also wants to double the number of international flights by Kish Air and create a car-free "ecological paradise" on the nearby island of Hendorabi, where an airport, port and hotel have already been built.

Investors are also pushing health tourism, with two top-end hospitals already running on the island, boasting leading doctors, particularly plastic surgeons.

"Forty more luxury hotels of four to five stars are under construction," said Jirofti.

"Our aim is to reach 2.6 million tourists within 10 years."

www.yahoo.com...

Will they allow gays, or are their executions part of the evening entertainment? Mut be fun living in an Islamic theocracy.

originally posted by: seasonal
Is this going to win your vacation $ ?

Maybe if I wanted to party like it was 1,999.


BC.

No

a reply to: seasonal

Even though Dubai is a strict Muslim country, with sharia law, there are places where tourists can engage in partying, and it seemed to work very well when I was there. They can still maintain their strict religious beliefs while at the same time letting the infidels have their debauchery, and make a lot of money in the process.

I cou see the same being beneficial to Iran.

I've been to Iran and it would almost be a shame to erode their culture in any way, but then again, it might attract a tourist industry.

If I can't go to a beach and enjoy some booze along with the view, and by view I mean good looking women, it's not a beach in my mind.

a reply to: seasonal

I would consider it. Then again, lust and drink aren't my vices.

originally posted by: MysticPearl
If I can't go to a beach and enjoy some booze along with the view, and by view I mean good looking women, it's not a beach in my mind.

Yeah... why are they so friggin stupid with this thing?

most people go to a beach to oggle the opposite sex. Who wants to be on a beach with men only? Only gays would love that.

Yeah, I think I'll pass. As long as they remain a religious dictatorship. You will never see the likes of me visit that cesspool.

Doublepost.

originally posted by: TruthxIsxInxThexMist
Yeah... why are they so friggin stupid with this thing?

most people go to a beach to oggle the opposite sex. Who wants to be on a beach with men only? Only gays would love that.

Do they? I go to the beach to enjoy the warm sand, the sun, and the water. If you were on a beach free of distractions, perhaps you would enjoy those things. If you just want to ogle people, there's plenty of environments better for that.

a reply to: Aazadan

So... you are saying you close your eyes when at the beach?

I doubt that very much... in fact I'd bet you all the cash you have that you do open your eyes and look at the Ladies!

Yes, you go to the beach to enjoy the fresh air, sand and water but you do most definitely look at the Ladies. Unless you are 'gay' like I said in my post above, in which case you would enjoy yourself on the beach mentioned in the op.

originally posted by: Aazadan
If you just want to ogle people, there's plenty of environments better for that.

There are? Where else can I see women wearing little more than tiny triangles of fabric?

To be fair, there are strip clubs and massage parlours!

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

Never heard of those places.

a reply to: TruthxIsxInxThexMist

I'm not gay, but I don't look at people like that either. If that's what people want to do, I have no problem with it. It's just not for me.