Rural Tourism a Competitive Advantage for Iran in Global Market / Community Homestays a Tangible Indicator in Global Assessments

Head of the Department for Development of Tourist Attractions and Products, referring to the global assessment of villages, said factors such as employment of rural households, participation of youth, activity of small and medium businesses in tourism and related industries, and guesthouses using traditional architecture and methods are taken into consideration.

Referring to the importance of rural tourism in the country's tourism development, Mehdi Baharond, the head of the Tourism Attractions and Products Development Department, said: Rural tourism is one of the most important tourism products in Iran and one of the country's competitive advantages in the global market, and therefore, villages are considered as one of the main destinations in domestic and inbound tourism planning.

He added: The plans made in recent years in the field of rural tourism have simultaneously followed the development of domestic tourism and the attraction of foreign tourists.

According to Baharond, Iran's villages have international capacities and positions in the fields of natural, historical, cultural heritage and handicrafts, and in addition to paying attention to creating an international brand for villages, the village should also be considered as a social identity and a special geographical area.

He continued: Tourism development can play an effective role in facing challenges such as the reduction of rural population, migration due to employment restrictions and climate issues. Accordingly, tourism has been considered as one of the factors to prevent migration and help employment and livelihood of rural communities.

Referring to the development of ecotourism residences in the villages, the head of the Tourism Attractions and Products Development Department said: More than four thousand ecotourism residences have been established in the country's villages, a significant part of which are managed by local people, and in some areas, they have provided the basis for the formation of a relatively stable livelihood.

He said: The development of these facilities in some villages has led to population control, prevention of migration and even reverse migration in some cases, and the prosperity of local businesses.

Baharond stated that rural tourism is not limited to ecotourism residences and added: the activities of local guides, the establishment of tourism farms and other businesses related to tourism have led to the formation of a complementary economy in the villages along with agriculture and animal husbandry, and the local community can earn more income.

The emphasis of the United Nations Tourism on the economic sustainability of villages

He also referred to the "World's Best Tourism Villages" project and said: This project was started in 2021 by the United Nations Tourism Organization and has various indicators for evaluating villages, one of the most important of which is economic sustainability.

The head of the Tourism Attractions and Products Development Department continued: In this assessment, issues such as the employment of rural households, the presence of young people, the activity of small and medium businesses in the field of tourism and related industries, as well as residences using architecture and traditional methods are taken into consideration.

According to him, the attention of international organizations to the economic aspects of rural tourism shows that the activity of this field and the creation of economic opportunities for local communities play an important role in maintaining the population and identity of villages.

Annual introduction of 8 Iranian villages to the world competition

Referring to Iran's presence in the "World's Best Tourism Villages" plan, Baharond said: Iran nominates eight villages to the United Nations Tourism Organization every year to represent the country in this global competition.

The head of the Tourism Attractions and Products Development Department added: So far, the villages of Kandavan in East Azerbaijan, Isfak in South Khorasan, Kandlos in Mazandaran, Shafiabad in Kerman and Soheili in Hormozgan have won this world title.

In the end, he noted: The value chain and tourism service chain that has been formed in the field of tourism economy in rural areas has played an important role in the selection of these villages and we hope that this process will continue.