Ecotourism industry is the hidden wealth of West Azerbaijan

Ecotourism or nature tourism is the neglected and hidden wealth and potential of West Azerbaijan, this income-generating industry has not yet found its place in this province and continues to live in exile. This hidden capacity is not positive and instead of leading to development, it has led to oblivion. West Azerbaijan is a treasure of natural attractions from waterfalls and forests to mountains, springs and wetlands, the natural attractions of this country are countless and at the same time Now it is rich and full of wealth.

The ecotourism industry of West Azerbaijan can play a unique role in the prosperity and prosperity of tourism in the province, it can attract nature lovers and tourists, and in addition to introducing the natural beauty of this land, it can turn tourists into ambassadors of the culture and traditions of this land. The ecotourism or nature tourism industry of this land can also portray the culture, customs and life of different tribes of this province to the world and every year the historical and natural attractions of this province host thousands of ecotourists and bring huge income to the province. Natural attractions of Azerbaijan province Western is wide, unique and has a special charm, and some of them have therapeutic properties and play an effective role in the treatment of some diseases.

It can be safely said that West Azerbaijan has taken the lead from other provinces in terms of having natural attractions and has earned a special place for itself.

As the ecotourism expert and the person responsible for the development of rural and nomadic tourism of the General Department of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism of West Azerbaijan says: West Azerbaijan, in addition to sharing a border with three countries, is one of the best provinces in the country in terms of natural attractions.

“Vodud Fakhari” continues: If other provinces have only some natural attractions, West Azerbaijan has all of them in the country, as there are springs, plains, lakes, forests and even deserts in this province.

He continues by saying that West Azerbaijan is a strong province in terms of natural attractions, but not much attention has been paid to it.

Fakhari mentions the existence of various caves in the province as natural attractions and adds: Seholan Cave, Ali Sheikh Cave, Temtan Cave, springs and mineral waters, permanent rivers, valleys, forests, pastures and hunting grounds are among the natural capacities of this land. .

He reminded: Silvana region can be called among the rare regions and natural attractions of the province, as the presence of pure oxygen in it has given it a special effect, and in addition, the presence of Sule Dukal waterfall, Marmisho lake, and Dalamper lake are among the other natural beauties of Silvana region. .

49 tourism target villages are another manifestation of the ecotourism industry in West Azerbaijan

Stating that 3000 villages contain 35% of the province’s population, Fakhari said: In 70% of these villages there are historical and natural attractions and also the variety of dialects, clothing, customs such as weddings and funerals are part of the ecotourism industry. And for ecotourists, this variety is very interesting and spectacular.

He continues: the target villages for tourism also contain other historical attractions such as old churches that attract the attention of tourists.

He stated that the presence of ecotourists in natural attractions preserves the customs and living standards of the people of that region, and said: When ecotourists see the clothing and customs of the people of rural areas, the people of the region feel a sense of patriotism and feel proud. Or when they attend their wedding ceremony, this presence revives the customs of that region.

Wetlands are another face of the ecotourism industry in West Azerbaijan

Ecotourism expert and responsible for the development of tourism and nomadic life of cultural heritage and tourism of West Azerbaijan added: Six of the 30 wetlands of the province are internationally registered and important for bird watchers and nature tourists.

He added: Brazan mineral lagoon as the country’s first bird-watching site, Seholan water cave, Garavan spring, Qainarjeh waterfall and hundreds of other attractions have turned this province into one of the unique provinces of the country that has the capacity to accept tourists and ecotourists.

Ilat and tribes are another potential of ecotourism in West Azerbaijan

Responsible for the development of rural and nomadic tourism, cultural heritage, handicrafts and tourism of West Azerbaijan, stating that 130,000 nomads in the province are of special importance due to their various products.

According to him, nomadic productions such as dairy products and lifestyles such as milking, Chinese wool, oil extraction, carpet weaving, types of clothing and customs are the capacity to accept ecotourists and tourists.

He continued: Seeing the way of Chinese wool and milking and watching the customs of nomads and elots creates another space for the ecotourist and connects him with nature and nomadic life.

Eco-residences are a step for the growth of West Azerbaijan’s ecotourism industry

Fakhari called the development of eco-tourism residences as a sign of trend towards eco-tourism and said: The increase of eco-tourism resorts in the province compared to last year is a sign of the trend towards eco-tourism industry.

He stated that more advertising and education should be done in order to double the trend towards the ecotourism industry, as the importance of tourism should be explained to the villagers, villagers and the rural community itself in the education department, and this importance should be explained to the farmer, the income from tourism will be much better and more. Is.

According to him, with the arrival of villagers and farmers towards the establishment of eco-tourism residences and tourism in general, the ecotourism industry will flourish.

The media power of the missing link of West Azerbaijan ecotourism industry

Fakhari called the power of the media as the missing link of the ecotourism industry and said: The more we can show natural attractions through brochures, radio and the media or introduce this industry through virtual space, the more successful we will be in the ecotourism industry. became.

He added: Advertising and introduction of natural attractions through national and written media will have a favorable result.

The share of tourism income in the province is insignificant

The ecotourism expert of cultural heritage and tourism of West Azerbaijan continued: Tourism industry is the third largest industry in the world and in terms of earning and creating employment, every tourist entering a city directly creates jobs for six people and indirectly for 20 people, and in many of Countries, the tourism industry is higher than other industries, and the arrival of tourists annually brings several trillion to those countries.

Fakhari added: In the 20-year vision, it was thought that 20 million tourists would enter the country every year, but this process slowed down and the outbreak of the Corona disease prevented this movement, and not only the country but the whole world suffered the most from the stop of tourism.

He reminded: Negative advertisements and sanctions are among the factors affecting tourism.

Fruit orchards are unlucky from the point of view of nature tourists

An Urmia researcher said: Urmia is an agricultural hub and has unique fruit orchards, which are considered natural attractions of the province.

Aziznejad said: But if the nature traveler wants to leave the city and enter the path of Urmia gardens, he will not be able to see the beautiful view of the fruit gardens, because nowadays the villas with high walls enclose the fruit garden. Hit the continuous one by one and get permission to watch the garden.

This anthropologist continued: The rampant growth of villas and the fragmentation of orchards and the summarization of a large part of their area in one villa and a wall and door distorts the nature and landscape of orchards and hides them from the eyes.

He added: The way of picking fruits and various agricultural products and taking the fruits to the market is an attractive and beautiful scene for tourists and ecotourists, but now these scenes are difficult to see because they are captured by high walls and the only thing that can be seen is the sky-high villas.

Natural attractions deprived of recreational facilities

Shahrvand Urmiaei, a student of natural resources engineering, emphasized: West Azerbaijan’s natural attractions lack recreational facilities and facilities needed for tourists.

Muhaddeh Rezaei continued: For example, the Marmisho waterfall and its lush and dreamy area are devoid of the necessary facilities for people, tourists, and most importantly, nature lovers.

He added: Why shouldn’t there be minimum facilities and facilities in a natural attraction with this beauty? Aren’t restrooms, resting places, restaurants and other facilities necessary for such a place?

He said: Natural attractions should be ready to welcome guests and nature tourists, and the necessary infrastructure and facilities should be created in them.

Rezaei stated: many times, many citizens have gone to the beautiful natural attractions of the province such as Marmisho or other places for sightseeing, but the lack of mentioned facilities did not allow them to enjoy the unique beauty of these attractions.

He reminded: Setting up a restaurant in natural attractions and cooking traditional dishes by the residents of those areas gives another effect to these attractions and doubles their beauty.

According to IRNA, ecotourism is a responsible trip to natural areas that helps preserve and sustain natural attractions and improves the quality of life of the people of those areas and the local community.

Also, trying to maximize economic benefits for the host country, especially people who live near or inside natural areas, is one of the characteristics of ecotourism.

West Azerbaijan has a high status in the country in terms of historical, natural and spiritual monuments with 1,700 nationally registered historical works and 2 world registered works “Chaldran Church and Takht Suleiman Takab”.

This province has a unique potential in terms of natural attractions such as waterfalls, springs, mineral waters, mountains, villages, ancient rural architecture, hills and historical castles that are thousands of years old. In the field of ecotourism industry, it can bring good income to the province and make a great contribution to the economy of the province.