Iran Press/ Iran News: Iran's government spokesman Ali Bahadori-Jahromi said on Tuesday that Iran and Qatar are cooperating to establish hosting infrastructure in the Iranian islands of Qeshm and Kish for the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
He said so far two meetings on the FIFA World Cup have been held under the chairmanship of First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber, with the air and marine cooperation documents being signed between Iran and Qatar.
According to the head of the Kish Hoteliers Association Masihollah Safa, the proximity of Iran's Kish island to Qatar and the lower cost of staying on this island are the advantages of Iran's hosting of World Cup spectators and teams who can also enjoy the scenic beauties of the Iranian island during the football tournament to be held November 21 to December 18, 2022.
Referring to the limited tourism capacity of Qatar, he said to increase the capacity of accommodation and reception services on Kish island, 4,000 rooms are being prepared to accommodate Iranians and foreigners attending the World Cup.
By doing so, Iran aims to increase accommodation capacity and standards and to provide the World Cup travelers with reasonable prices and a far better experience than in Qatar on Kish island, a 92 square kilometer (35 square miles) resort island in the Persian Gulf with white sand beaches, which is a 40-minute flight or six-hour boat ride from Doha.
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Voicing Iran's readiness to participate in hosting part of the 2022 Qatar World Cup on Qeshm and Kish, Saeed Mohammad, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free Zones, recently said: "We have a complete plan to make the most of the existing capacities in Qeshm and Kish, so that the [World Cup] tourists leave the region satisfactorily."
In addition to readying hotels for an expected influx of football fans, Iran has also boosted flights.
"The Qataris are very interested in using Iran's infrastructure in the 2022 World Cup," Iran's Transport Minister Rostam Ghasemi said earlier following a two-day visit by his Qatari counterpart.
Qatari Transport Minister Jassim bin Saif al-Sulaiti visited Iran's Kish island -- 270 kilometers (168 miles) northeast of Doha -- and signed six cooperation agreements.
Iran and Qatar have agreed to increase flights between the countries, rising from 72 at present to potentially as many as 200 a day, said Mohammad Mohammadi, the head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation.
"Iran's contribution to the World Cup will be in the areas of air and sea transport and accommodation of foreign and Iranian passengers," Ghasemi said.
According to the Iranian transport minister, Iran also plans to offer foreign fans and tourists during their stay in Iran the opportunity to visit the country's tourist places.
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Waiving visas
Waiving visas is a way Iran plans to use to encourage travel from Qatar.
Leila Azhdari, who heads the foreign tourism department at the Iranian tourism ministry, said the foreign ministry had agreed to waive visas for travel from Qatar for two months during the World Cup, which will end on December 18.
Visitors, she said, can apply for free single or multiple-entry passes for 20-day stays during those two months, the exact dates of which will be announced later.
Iran to launch direct Kish-Doha flights
The secretary of the Supreme Council of Free Trade and Special Economic Zones of Iran says direct flights from Iran's Kish island to the Qatari capital, Doha, are scheduled to be launched concurrently with the FIFA World Cup 2022.
"As per an agreement with the government of Qatar, over the course of the World Cup event, some 400 flights from Kish to Doha will be operated. Four cruise ships will be navigating the Persian Gulf waters traveling from Kish to Doha and back," Saeed Mohammad said.
The official noted that the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts plans to host around 100,000 tourists for the World Cup 2022.
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