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Agricultural Tourism in Israel Offers Variety of Attractions and Sites |
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As part of the "Agro-Mashov" exhibition that will take place in January at the Tel Aviv Trade Fair and Convention Center, tourists will be offered agricultural tourist packages The development of agricultural tourism in Israel is another example of new initiatives that spring in the Israeli tourist industry from time to time. Activities in agricultural tourism span nearly all the range of agriculture fields in Israel. It allows tourists to visit a unique robotic dairy farm, participate in picking fruit in the orchards of the Golan Heights and the western part of the Galilee, to hike through the fields in the northern parts of the Negev, to visit isolated farms in the Negev Mountain area, or participate in agricultural festivals in the Jezreel Valley and the northern parts of the Negev. Agricultural tourism in Israel is still just starting out. Only a few years ago, the public was not attracted to tours that included meeting calves in the dairy farm, cowboys in the corral, milking goats in the pen. Today, thousands of tourists can be seen in vineyards, wineries, tourist centers that deal with honey production, olive presses, different types of dairies and other agricultural attractions scattered around Israel. A Long Lived World Tradition Compared to the rest of the world, agricultural tourism in Israel is just taking its first steps. Dozens of years ago, many countries in Europe have had agricultural tourism such as vineyards presenting family traditions, agricultural farms that hosted young people from around the world and herding competitions into pens with thousands of spectators. Auctioning of cattle in the US, participating in fishing competitions and harvest fests for different types of crops are all part of a long lived tradition that encompass many of the farmers throughout the continent. In far-away Australia there are festivals celebrating the end of the fleecing season, in Tibet one may take a boat between the floating fields of Lake Inala. In many countries, the starting point for the development of agricultural tourism was the wish to preserve the environment, and with the intention of sustainable agriculture for the welfare of future generations. Ecological development is constantly performed with a struggle against bodies that do not care about environmental factors, but around the world, the uses of man's connection to the environment and preservation of the quality of air, soil and water for the future of mankind have been discovered long ago. On this basis, agricultural tourism can be included in a wider framework of ecotourism, next to other ecological branches, including challenging tourism, spiritual tourism and spa tourism. Environmental tourism is an attraction to large populations in the world, and some people are looking for a focused vacation in such sites. Therefore, agricultural tourism in Israel is a destination for many people from around the world who have such interests. Professional Tourism For many years, one of the fields of agricultural tourism in Israel that has attracted interested people from abroad has been visits for professional purposes and knowledge acquisition. Many people from different countries come to learn about the agricultural branches and the technological advancements in this field in Israel. This field has not yet reached its full potential. Development of agricultural tourism in all parts of Israeli agriculture can be another attraction for groups of tourists interested in different parts of agriculture. The group of tourists that is interested in ecological and alternative tourism is estimated to be over 80 million people worldwide. In this type of tourism billions of dollars exchange hands, and it is looking for new destinations each year. Therefore, the great advantage of agricultural tourism for attracting incoming tourists raises much interest with all the bodies within the Israeli government that deal with encouraging such tourism. Green Events and Festivals In this background, the development of the large events and festivals in the rural sector in Israel is set. The opening of beehives to public tours before the holidays of the Jewish month of Tishrei (the first month of the Jewish calendar), events related to milk and cattle herds, the ability to visit agricultural research and development centers throughout the country are all positive examples that indicate the positive thoughts of the rural areas have in this field. Different local councils initiate agricultural tourist events such as the "Days of Milk and Honey" festival in the Jezreel Valley, exhibiting much contents of agricultural tourism and turning into an attraction for thousands of visitors during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, or the potato festival in the Eshkol Region in the western part of the Negev and "the Valley is a Treasure" events that take place in the northern valleys during Passover. "Agro-Mashov" as an Annual Attraction One of the attractions for tourists and people interested in agricultural tourism from around the world is the "Agro-Mashov" exhibition. It takes place during the winter months annually, and presents the large scale of the products and technologies in Israeli agriculture, as well as the well-developed tourist attractions that develop within the agricultural farm. This year, the exhibition takes place on January 9th-10th 2008, and the list of tourists taking an interest in it grows daily. As part of the exhibition, which this year will take place at the Tel Aviv Trade Fair and Convention Center, organizers are allowing foreign tourists to join unique hikes through agricultural tourist routes throughout the country, taking place following the exhibition. Registration for these tours can be done through the website To view an agricultural tourist route in the Jordan Valley click here. To view the annual flower fair in Tel Aviv, click here. December 25, 2007
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