“Gastronomy tourism is one of the travel branches that can diversify the portfolio of tourism products in our country to revive a wide range of local food and beverages to be offered to domestic and foreign tourists,” a tourism official said on Tuesday.

Leila Azhdari made the remarks during a video conference with provincial and local tourism offices in which she explained dimensions, structure, plans, and goals the committee pursues, CHTN reported

The committee has finished the first phase of compiling a comprehensive atlas for Iranian foods and is working on the second, she added.

Efforts to make television programs, startups, and help top local dished being registered on the intangible cultural heritage list, and to organize food tourism tours are among the short-term programs for the committee, the official explained.

Earlier this 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.