INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
TEHRAN – Local tourism authorities want to improve agritourism infrastructure around the Gandoman wetland in southwestern
Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province, the provincial tourism chief has said.“To achieve this goal, private investors in agritourism are welcomed
and supported in this region,” Alireza Jilan explained on Saturday. Due to the wetland’s location on the transit route connecting
Iran’s central provinces with ports in the southwest and south, Gandaman has become a strategic investment location, especially in the
tourism sector, the official added. Back in June, Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami said that the
Gandoman wetland has considerable potential to become one of the agritourism hubs of the country. This wetland has a great deal of tourism
potential, especially in the field of birdwatching, the minister added. Wetland tourism infrastructure development, however, should be done
in accordance with the laws of the Environment Protection Organization, as well as the preservation of the ecosystem, he noted. A major
part of attracting investors and facilitating their entry into the Gandoman tourism area is providing local officials with the necessary
ground to support tourism investors, he explained. “Gandoman wetland is one of the wetlands in the world, and it has a lot of potential
as a tourist attraction,” he added. The nature of the Gandoman wetland is the best subject for foreign and domestic tourists, which has
not been fully exploited so far, he stated. The wetland, stretching to 1,070 hectares, is located in Borujen county
It is one of Iran’s top five birdwatching sites, especially in spring and autumn, and the country’s most important permanent habitat for
The wetland is surrounded by eight villages.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).It 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 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
