TEHRAN – Food accounts for one-third of tourist spending so it lays the ground to develop the food tourism market in Iran.

“Approximately one-third of tourists’ expenditure is paid on food, therefore, food is an essential part of tourism and a main source of revenue,” an official with the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts has said.

An important part of a trip can be experiencing the foods and beverages of any destination, IRNA quoted Mohammad Qasemi as saying on Tuesday.

In order to develop the field of food tourism, major measures such as developing tourism packages that focus on the experience of local food and incorporating local food from the provinces in the menu of accommodation facilities and restaurants are essential, the official explained.

Due to having a very significant capacity for local food, the issue of food tourism development is on the agenda of the ministry, he noted.

Last year, Iran joined an online campaign launched by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to promote gastronomy as an essential part of tourism.

Experts say that food is not merely an organic product with biochemical compositions. However, for members of each community, food is defined as a cultural element.

Iranian cuisine, usually dominated by fragrant herbs, varies from region to region. It principally accentuates freshness, deliciousness, and colorfulness.

Iranian cooking can be seen as a metaphor for the country itself: It’s tart, sweet, fragrant, and vastly complex. It’s one of the world’s oldest, yet largely obscure, culinary landscapes, with roots dating back to the ancient Persian Empire.

ABU/AFM