TEHRAN – The first-ever agritourism permit has been issued for a vast farm in the southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, the provincial tourism chief has said. Such permits are granted to eligible farm owners in the country to launch agritourism businesses, aiming to set certain standards in a move to ensure the quality of such services in the country.“Setting up in an area of 17 hectares, the farm has created jobs for 30 people directly,” IRNA quoted Majid Safai as saying on Sunday. Agritourism could achieve rural development in this region while it generates extra income for the villagers and locals, which leads to economic prosperity, the official explained.
Promoting this branch of tourism can both help improve the living conditions of rural communities as well as provide a different experience for tourists from big cities, the official added. He also noted that the investors who aim at enhancing agritourism infrastructures in the region are welcomed and supported. Agritourism is a relatively new branch of the travel industry in which tourists stay with local people in rural areas. Farm/ranch recreation refers to activities conducted on private agricultural lands, which might include fee-hunting and fishing, overnight stays, educational activities, etc.Experts believe that in addition to the customer services jobs, agritourism pays special attention to the production sector, saying agricultural tourism is much more important and practical than other branches of tourism because it creates a new chain and diversity in the field of production and services.Agritourism and nature-tourism enterprises might include outdoor recreation (fishing, hunting, wildlife study, horseback riding), educational experiences (cannery tours, cooking classes, or tea or coffee tasting), entertainment (harvest festivals or barn dances), hospitality services (farm stays, guided tours, or outfitter services), and on-farm direct sales (u-pick operations or roadside stands).Agritourism is a subset of a larger industry called rural tourism that includes resorts, off-site farmers’ markets, non-profit agricultural tours, and other leisure and hospitality businesses that attract visitors to the countryside.The lesser-known Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province is a cradle for nomadic life. Sightseers may live with a nomadic or rural family for a while or enjoy an independent stay and assist them with day-to-day life. It also opens up an opportunity to feel rustic routines, their agriculture, traditions, arts, and culture.
