TEHRAN – Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami has said that the Gandoman wetland in southwestern Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari province has considerable potential to become one of the agritourism hubs of the country. He made the remarks on Thursday while visiting the wetland and its surroundings, IRNA reported. This wetland has a great deal of tourism potential, especially in the field of birdwatching, the minister added. Wetland tourism infrastructure development, however, should be done in accordance with the laws of the Environment Protection Organization, as well as the preservation of the ecosystem, he noted. A major part of attracting investors and facilitating their entry into the Gandoman tourism area is providing local officials with the necessary ground to support tourism investors, he explained. “Gandoman wetland is one of the wetlands in the world, and it has a lot of potential as a tourist attraction,” he added. The nature of the Gandoman wetland is the best subject for foreign and domestic tourists, which has not been fully exploited so far, he stated. The wetland, stretching to 1,070 hectares, is located in Borujen county.

It is one of Iran’s top five birdwatching sites, especially in spring and autumn, and the country’s most important permanent habitat for migratory birds.

The wetland is surrounded by eight villages.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