Qeshm Villages to Play a Key Role in the Island’s Tourism Branding
According to Fars News Agency, a consultative meeting with village heads (Dehyars) from the Shahab and Hara districts was held in Qeshm with the participation of Mohammadreza Kolaei, CEO of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, district governors, village heads, and a number of local officials. The meeting focused on reviewing the challenges, capacities, and development plans of the villages across Qeshm Global Island.
During the session, the village heads presented the strengths and potential of their respective communities while highlighting the most pressing challenges and demands of residents in the areas of infrastructure, tourism, public services, environmental protection, employment, and sustainable development.
Mohammadreza Kolaei, CEO of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, emphasized the central role of villages in the balanced development of Qeshm Global Island. He stated that sustainable development in Qeshm cannot be achieved without the active participation of local communities and the effective utilization of village capacities. He noted that supporting village-centered initiatives remains one of the organization's key priorities.
Kolaei added that Qeshm’s villages, thanks to their unique cultural, historical, tourism, and environmental assets, have the potential to become major hubs for wealth creation, employment generation, and tourist attraction. He stressed that achieving this goal requires strategic planning and the involvement of local experts and community leaders.
The CEO also underscored the importance of preparing comprehensive rural development plans, strengthening tourism infrastructure, and increasing public participation in decision-making and policy formulation processes.
During the meeting, Abdolmajid Salghi was introduced as the Project Manager of the “Comprehensive Village Events Calendar and Qeshm Global Island Village Development Initiative.”
Explaining the objectives of the project, Salghi stated that the development of a comprehensive village events calendar is aimed at identifying, documenting, scheduling, and promoting the cultural, social, tourism, traditional, sports, and economic events held in Qeshm’s villages.
He added that the project, which is based on local identity and indigenous capacities, will help introduce the villages of Qeshm Global Island more effectively at both national and international levels. The initiative is expected to contribute significantly to tourism growth, increased income for local communities, and the preservation of the region’s cultural and spiritual heritage.
Salghi further noted that, within the framework of the project, the capacities, competitive advantages, infrastructure, and development needs of Qeshm’s villages will be thoroughly assessed. The findings will be used to develop a strategic roadmap for the organization and sustainable development of these rural areas.
At the conclusion of the meeting, participants emphasized the importance of continuing consultative sessions, strengthening cooperation between the Qeshm Free Zone Organization, district administrations, and village councils, and leveraging community participation to accelerate the development of the villages across Qeshm Global Island.
