TEHRAN – The high-quality garlic cultivated in west-central Hamedan province has been awarded a patent by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the provincial tourism chief has said.

Last week, the Hamedan Garlic was officially recognized as an intellectual property by WIPO, a subsidiary of the United Nations based in Geneva, Mohsen Masum Alizadeh explained on Wednesday. 

This could greatly enhance the potential for agritourism prosperity in the region, the official added. 

The fertile lands and ideal weather conditions of Hamedan make it a perfect destination for agritourism, he noted. 

Agritourism is a relatively new branch of the travel industry in which tourists stay with locals 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.

Agritourism and nature-the travel industry ventures could incorporate outside diversion (fishing, hunting, untamed life review, horseback riding), instructive encounters (cannery visits, cooking classes, or tea or espresso tasting), amusement (gather celebrations or animal dwelling place moves), friendliness administrations (ranch stays, directed visits, or supplier administrations), and on-ranch direct deals (u-pick activities or side of the road 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.

Known in classical times as Ecbatana, Hamedan was one of the ancient world’s greatest cities. Pitifully little remains from antiquity, but significant parts of the city center are given over to excavations, and there’s a scattering of historical curiosities.

Sprawling on a high plain, Hamedan is graciously cool in August but snow prone and freezing from December to March. In summer the air is often hazy, but on a rare, clear spring day there are impressive glimpses of snow-capped Alvand Kuh (3580m), sitting aloof above the ragged neocolonial cupolas of Imam Khomeini Sq.

It never falls short of offering cultural heritage sites to its visitors. Scenic natural landscapes, traditional restaurants, public gardens, colorful outdoor markets, and more importantly, its hospitable people make for an unexpected slice of the city.

ABU/AM