Page 15 - Discover Israel Magazine - UKA Edition 2023

A culinary experience in a vegetable garden in Tzofar.
On left: Cucamelons in greenhouses on display at the
Vidor Visitors Center. Below: Agricultural performance
displays at the Vidor Visitors Center.

Ossi Nir
Pick your own vegetables, get acquainted Agricultural rural tourism in the Central Arava
with crocodiles and antelopes, sip on wine relies on expansive processes and trends in
at a desert winery, tour the agricultural Israel and around the world. The agricultural
greenhouses, learn about the production of crisis in Israel in the 1980s led residents to
date honey and honey, aloe vera production seek out alternative offerings, and so they
began establishing Zimmers. At the same
for the cosmetics industry, and visit a sculpture time, entrepreneurs, who encountered the
garden exhibition featuring figures made growing number of visitors, saw an opportunity
from old agricultural machinery—welcome to develop businesses and complementary
to the Central Arava—the wilderness, with products for visitors, including desert jeep
its dramatic biblical landscapes. patches of tours, restaurants, farm activities, art shops,
undisturbed desert, and unique agricultural and many other attractions.
tourism.
The Central Arava is sprawling with over
Agricultural tourism (agritourism) is no longer 350 Zimmers, and vacationers mainly visit
a passing trend. It’s a thriving and prosperous this fascinating region to enjoy the unique
industry that helps sustain a local economy, and dramatic scenery, tranquility, many
and maintains and produces optimal synergic hiking trails, and, of course, the opportunity
relationships in which all parties benefit, to experience and enjoy innovative and
including local farmers, who can better thrive advanced desert agriculture in the area.
with the additional income stream agritourism
provides. The owners of Zimmers (cabins) The expansion of the tourism industry has
in the area offer a variety of attractions and made the area a significant tourism destination
interesting activities, with the demand for for both domestic and foreign holidaymakers.
accommodation in the area on the rise. Tourism in the Arava relies on three principles
according within the very DNA of successful sunrise yoga sessions included—complements
The Central Arava is a spectacular region of desert tourism: isolation, customization, and the desert tourism experience.
land in the south of Israel. It spreads over one loyalty to nature. The Arava offers an idyllic
and a half million dunams, of which 800,000 backdrop and desert hospitality experience The global interest in agricultural tourism
square meters are nature reserves, and that is specially tailored to suit guests. Here, has led to the branding of the Arava as a
constitutes close to 6% of the country’s total visitors can experience an abundance of productive agricultural area that allows visitors
size. The abundance of nature amid the arid attractions, endless landscapes, delicious to fully enjoy a tourist-agricultural experience.
desert landscape is simply breathtaking—a farm-to-table meals, and accommodation In 2014, the Vidor Visitors Center was
unique environment free of air pollution and in quality desert khans or luxury boutique established, a window to Arava agriculture
the hustle and bustle of city life, promising Zimmers. The Nabataean Incense Route, and agricultural tourism in the area. The
residents and visitors a first-rate quality which was recognized as a World Heritage Center is a fascinating glimpse into agriculture,
of living, tranquility, and wellbeing. The Site by UNESCO in July 2005, also passes animals, and plant life within the desert. Over
Arava is home to a tight-knit community of through the area. the years, local festivals and special events
3,500 residents who live among 7 dynamic have been scheduled, the most prominent
communities (of which 5 are agricultural Tourist agricultural activities include guided of which is the "Agriculture Open Day" which
moshavim—villages). tours of agricultural greenhouses, innovative has been held for 25 years at the height of the
packing houses, a honey farm, field cooking agricultural season, with tens of thousands
The agriculture industry in Central Arava has workshops, a visit to the only aloe vera of visitors from Israel and around the world
existed for decades and was established plantation in the Middle East, a sheep grazing in attendance. Another event is the "From
by a generation of patient and persistent workshop, wine tasting, self-picking activities, Greenhouse to Plate" festival, a culinary event
pioneers. Here, agriculture for export is and more. The story and experience that the designed to showcase agricultural activities in
at the highest level of global technology, tourist undergoes is an opportunity to promote the Arava region, from a visit to a greenhouse
implementing ‘green’ growing methods values such as pioneering, and community to cooking locally grown produce.
in a clean environment that meets the development, and encourage the consumption
strictest EU standards. Approximately 500 of quality, local, and fine Israeli agricultural More details and interesting facts can be
agricultural families produce about 65% of produce. Some of the activities are offered for found on our website: en.goarava.co.il
all fresh vegetable exports from Israel, that a fee and some are free of charge, with the
find their way to Europe and the United farmer assuming that visitors will purchase his
States during the winter season. Proximity to produce during the visit. Ossi Nir (The author is one of the founders of the
markets and the efficient, quality-driven, and tourism industry in the Arava, an expert in tourism
clean production method gives the Arava a This, while combining a visit to attractions unique marketing, and has been marketing tourism
complexes on behalf of the Arava local authority for
marketing edge over other countries. to the desert—hiking trails, art workshops, and 20 years).

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