Afin village advances toward global recognition
South Khorasan Province, spanning the vast eastern reaches of Iran, benefits from rare natural and cultural assets derived from the coexistence of desert landscapes, mountain ranges, and fertile plains. As a result, the province is regarded as one of eastern Iran’s most unspoiled and distinctive tourism destinations.
Within the province, villages such as Afin — distinguished by traditional architecture, expansive seedless barberry orchards, and striking natural scenery — offer exceptional potential to attract both domestic and international visitors. The value of these assets becomes increasingly pronounced as such villages move toward nomination under the Best Tourism Villages program, IRNA wrote.
In January of this year, Iran launched the process of nominating villages for the Best Tourism Villages program, initially reviewing more than 100 candidates nationwide. At the preliminary evaluation stage, 50 villages met the required criteria. Following field inspections and scoring assessments, 12 villages advanced to the final dossier-preparation phase, with the files of eight villages now ready for submission to the World Tourism Organization. The expanded list of Iran’s selected villages under the program is expected to be reviewed during the 2026 vote.
Among the shortlisted candidates is the historic and tourism-oriented village of Afin in South Khorasan Province, which — due to its distinctive cultural heritage and natural features — is considered well qualified for inclusion under the Best Tourism Villages program.
Afin village, located in Zirkuh, covers an area of 450 hectares and is home to the world’s largest seedless barberry orchard, making it one of South Khorasan’s most prominent examples of rural and agricultural tourism.
The process of nomination for Afin and other villages in South Khorasan is being pursued with an emphasis on revitalizing historic fabric, upgrading infrastructure, and expanding tourism services in accordance with international standards. Measures such as the development of eco-lodges, the launch of information platforms, and the promotion of cultural and natural assets have positioned Afin as a national model for rural tourism development.
Afin’s cultural identity — reflected in the meaning of its name in ancient Iranian languages as “water and life”— underscores the community’s long-standing relationship with land and natural resources. This historical and cultural heritage, together with the village’s natural landscapes and extensive barberry orchards, provides a solid foundation for introducing Afin as an international tourism destination.
Given its existing capacities and the growing importance of the Best Tourism Villages program, Afin in South Khorasan Province is steadily moving toward becoming a successful model of sustainable tourism and agricultural development, with its nomination dossier expected to be completed in the near future in line with international standards.
In recent weeks, alongside the strengthening of national discourse on tourism development in the eastern regions of the country, Afin village has come into sharper focus among national planners.
The visit of the advisor to the Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Parham Janfeshan, to the province, along with the holding of specialized meetings with tourism stakeholders, members of the Strategic Council for Afin’s Best Tourism Villages nomination, and executive managers, indicates that the village’s dossier has entered a more serious and expert-driven phase on the path toward recognition.
During this visit, Janfeshan emphasized the necessity of an expert-based approach and announced the dispatch of a specialized ministerial team to conduct on-site assessments of Afin’s tourism infrastructure.
He added that the process of nominating Afin under the Best Tourism Villages program is being pursued through the identification of infrastructural constraints and the formulation of an operational action plan.
He further stressed that rural tourism development — even with minimal investment — can contribute to reverse migration trends and population stabilization in rural areas.
This initiative can be regarded as an important step toward accurately identifying limitations, prioritizing interventions, and developing a coherent operational plan to complete the nomination dossier — an approach that, according to experts, is essential for moving from the stage of local advocacy to the level of national decision-making.
At the same time, the Director General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Organization of South Khorasan Province addressed the damage caused by the 1997 earthquake and the stagnation resulting from the COVID-19 period, noting that the current state of tourism in Afin is the result of a gradual restart. In this process, tourism activities were effectively revived from zero, and the village now hosts four active eco-lodges providing accommodation and related services.
Seyyed Ahmad Barabadi noted that numerous applicants have expressed readiness to establish tourism facilities in Afin, emphasizing that the presence of new investors seeking to develop tourism infrastructure reflects the formation of a relative level of confidence in the future prospects of this destination.
At a broader level, discussions concerning the country’s critical tourism conditions, fluctuations in tourist arrival statistics, and the need for effective crisis management demonstrate that Afin’s nomination process is unfolding within a context of wider national challenges. Emphasis on targeted marketing strategies, the organization of small-scale events, a focus on domestic tourism, and the use of transportation capacities in neighboring provinces are among the approaches that could also be operationally defined and implemented for Afin.