Tourism in Qeshm: Roots, Trends and Respects

Tourism industry is one of the biggest and most efficient economic activities in the world which creates the highest amount of value added and directly or indirectly influences other economic and cultural activities. Tourism development is one of the approaches for creating socioeconomic development in the world regions that has always attracted the attention of the researchers and planners. Hence with respect to the significance of free zones development in the economy of the country, a glance to the tourism position in free trade zones specially Qeshm due to having potential resources of tourism, regional strategic and geopolitical location seems to be necessary. By specifying the tourism position in development of Qeshm, in this research it has been tried to enhance the present potentials and opportunities and convert the available shortcomings in the region into opportunities by planning and formulation of strategies and provide a ground for economic, social, cultural and political development of the region and the country. In the present research the research methodology applied is descriptive- analytical and the data gathering method is library documents based and according to field observations and statistical analysis. The results achieved indicate that Qeshm in spite of enjoying unique potentials, strategic position, vast and diverse natural, historical and cultural resources and attractions, specific ecosystem, geo-parks and mangrove etc. suffer from shortcomings such as tourism infrastructures shortages, weakness in marketing and advertisement, management instability etc. Therefore this research tries to assist the tourism development in this region by providing some strategies.