TEHRAN —100 lesser-known Iranian villages will be shortlisted for tourism development to help boost local economies and reverse the flow of people into the cities.

To achieve that goal, Iran’s Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts has embarked on a partnership with the Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation to improve living standards and quality of life, Mehr reported on Saturday.

“A joint working group has been tasked to select 100 villages for the scheme, which will be implemented with the help of the Islamic Revolution Housing Foundation,” said Ali Darabi, the deputy tourism minister.

Over the past few years, more and more visitors are looking for something different, such as spending a day in the quiet countryside, picking fresh fruit, watching rice grow, fishing by the sea, eating traditional food or even staying with the locals.

The World Tourism Organization considers rural tourism to be a type of activity in which the visitor's experience is linked to a wide range of products typically associated with activities related to nature, agriculture, rural lifestyle, culture, fishing, and tourism. This type of tourism also has characteristics such as low population density, mainly agricultural and forestry landscape, social structure, and traditional way of life.

The UN agency aims to highlight the “uniqueness” of each village to make tourism a vehicle for further development in rural areas. “We wanted to recognize the uniqueness of each village and highlight the best initiatives to make tourism a vehicle for a better future in the countryside. As we restart tourism, we try not to leave anyone – and no village – left behind,” said UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili.

Experts believe that the ultimate goal of the growth and development of the rural tourism industry is to enhance local economic activity, but in the long run, for this to happen, it is important to maintain a healthy environment and expand its capacity.

AFM