TEHRAN- For the first time, an apricot festival has been held in Mahneshan county, northwestern Zanjan province, according to the county’s tourism chief. 

The festival, which was held on Friday, included the sale of apricots and other agricultural products, various handicraft products, and a performance of traditional rituals, Abedin Safai said on Saturday. 

“Music performances, family walks, and the awarding of prizes to the best farmers of the region were also part of the festival,” the official added. 

The Mahenshan county has many potentials for agritourism, and such festivals could introduce and market it, he concluded.

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 countryside.

ABU/AFM