Zanjan steps up efforts to develop agritourism
Zanjan Province’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization has placed the development of agritourism on its agenda as a key driver of rural economic growth, sustainable employment and the use of local resources.
Abolfazl Ajali, head of the organization’s Tourism Services Supervision and Evaluation Office, said Zanjan’s exceptional capacity for producing agricultural and horticultural products provides a suitable platform for attracting tourists interested in experiencing rural life and nature-based tourism.
He said seasonal festivals, including those dedicated to black mulberries, pomegranates, Damask roses, grapes and figs, serve as showcases for local capabilities. Organized under the guidance of the provincial organization and with the participation of local communities, the festivals play an important role in promoting local products and highlighting the cultural identity of rural areas.
“Our strategy for developing garden tourism is to facilitate links between tourism-sector operators and agricultural producers,” Ajali said. “During the harvest season, orchards can be turned into tourist destinations, with specialized tours operating in these areas.”
He added that the model not only helps promote the province’s agricultural and food brands but also provides opportunities for marketing handicrafts and offering ecotourism accommodation and services, directly contributing to the livelihoods of rural communities.
Ajali also pointed to the province’s recent achievements in religious tourism, saying that during the lunar months of Muharram and Safar, Zanjan hosted large numbers of domestic and foreign tourists drawn by its prominent religious mourning rituals.
“This demonstrated the strong capacity of the province’s tourism infrastructure,” he said. “The current plan is to combine Zanjan’s religious tourism potential with its agricultural attractions in order to complete the province’s tourism value chain.”
Ajali said the ultimate goal is to introduce high-potential villages as national and global tourism target villages, adding that a tourism-based economy could help encourage reverse migration and support infrastructure development in rural areas across the province.