TEHRAN – The first tourism farm in Iran, measuring five hectares in area, has been created in a scenic fertile land adjacent to a dense forest in the northern province of Golestan.

“Agritourism is one of the neglected aspects for tourism development in Golestan [province] which has the potential to raise 92 agricultural products….. and the province enjoys a favorable climate and fertile lands near the Caspian Sea,” IRNA quoted deputy provincial tourism chief as saying on Monday.

The tourism farm was inaugurated in Tuskestan village in the month of Mehr (ended October 21) to open a new chapter of investments in agritourism across the province, the official said.

It includes sections for growing raspberries, strawberries, vegetables and summer vegetables, as well as animal breeding and agricultural education space, he noted.

“The main part of planting, holding, and harvesting in this farm is done voluntarily by holidaymakers.”

Agritourism is a relatively new branch of the travel industry in which tourists stay with local people in rural areas abroad. It 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.

Today, agritourism is regarded as a stimulus to the imbalanced economy of agriculture sectors and the tendency for emotional and nostalgic roots of the modern world citizens and due to factors such as visitor participation in farm activities, direct purchase of products, spending a night at a farm, curiosity and learning about the farm and agriculture products has been able to create a wide target population.

AFM/MG