TEHRAN – A selection of 20 travel insiders were honored at the second Congress of Women’s Entrepreneurs in Food & Tourism Industry, which was held at Tehran’s Milad Tower on Sunday.  

The Congress honored 20 female entrepreneurs for distinguished contributions to developing gastronomy tourism on the national or international scales, ILNA quoted the secretary of the congress as saying on Monday.

“One of the goals of this conference is to introduce the capacity of women entrepreneurs in the food and tourism industry and to transfer experiences to other businesspersons,” Donya Akhgari said.

Organized by Iran’s UNESCO Food and Gastronomy Club, the event aims at familiarizing more people with the activities of female chefs and entrepreneurs in the food and tourism industry.

In 2020, Iran joined an online campaign launched by the UNWTO to promote gastronomy as an essential part of tourism. Iranian cuisine, usually dominated by fragrant herbs, varies from region to region. It principally accentuates freshness, deliciousness, and colorfulness.

For instance, no Persian meal is complete without an abundance of herbs. Every table is usually set with sabzi-khordan, a basket of fresh herbs, radishes, and scallions, which are eaten raw and by the handful. Persian cuisine is, above all, about balance — of tastes and flavors, textures and temperatures.

Experts believe that food tourism has become one of the most dynamic and creative segments of tourism and, at the same time, has naturally positioned itself as an element of diversification of tourism with a high impact on the promotion of sustainable development at the regional and local levels.

 AFM