TEHRAN–A national conference focusing on agritourism is scheduled to be held in Khorramabad, the capital of western Lorestan province on November 10th and 11th, the provincial tourism chief has said.

The event aims at promoting agritourism and introducing the province’s capacities in this branch of tourism, Ata Hassanpur explained on Saturday.

Some 150 experts and scholars are planned to attend the conference, the official added.

Lorestan has very good capabilities in agritourism, which, if flourishes will contribute to the development of the tourism industry, 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-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).

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.

Rural tourism is said to differ from agritourism in some ways. For instance, rural tourism enterprises do not necessarily occur on a farm or ranch, or at an agricultural plant. They do not generate supplemental income for the agricultural enterprise.

To cite an example, we could refer to saffron farms in northeast Iran that are going to fame as a new destination for agritourism. Iranian Saffron is known as the “red gold”, saffron is a magical ingredient in Persian culture, from aromatic foods and colorful desserts to physical and spiritual medicine.

Experts believe that agritourism pays special attention to the production sector, saying “For this reason, 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.”

ABU/AM