Tourism in Iran
Tourism in Iran provides a range of activities from hiking and skiing in the Alborz and Zagros mountains, to beach holidays by the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea.
The government website advises visitors to "dress modestly" at all times, which for women means covering head, arms, and legs down to the ankles.
[5][6][7][8][9] He has asked Minister of Road and Urban Development for assistance in increasing access to far reaching tourist destinations.
[16][17] Before the Iranian revolution in 1979, tourism was characterized by significant numbers of visitors traveling to Iran for its attractions, including culture and landscape suitable for a range of activities.
Organized tours from Germany, France, the UK and other European countries come to Iran to visit archaeological sites and monuments.
[26] According to official statistics, about 1,659,000 foreign tourists visited Iran in 2004 – although government statistics don't distinguish between tourism, business and religious pilgrims; most came from Asian countries, including the republics of Central Asia, while a small share (about 10%) came from North America and the European Union, including Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, France and Belgium.
There is scope for increased visitors from the Islamic world, and possibly also from non-Muslim countries with which Iran is developing business and political links, such as China and India.
Leisure tourists arriving from abroad are also often relatives of Iranian citizens or expatriates residing outside of Iran returning to visit.
Another key segment of international arrival traffic are pilgrims come to pay a visit to holy sites in the country.
[32] Iran has road border crossings connecting it with Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
It announced to waive visa fees for spectators of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, who wished to visit Iran.
[38] Reason for domestic travel and overnight stay[29] Iran's Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization is responsible for the establishment, development and operation of tourism facilities in Iran, planning for the repair or extension of tourism facilities through direct investment or providing loans to the private sector or entering into partnership with the private sector, issuing licenses and supervising the establishment and administration of hotels and restaurants and travel agencies and qualification and rating of these units.
[40] Iran might become the leading country in the Islamic World when it comes to medical tourism due to a number of reasons that include the country's geographical position, the fluctuation of Iranian currency that leads to lower prices in healthcare services, as well as the development in medical research and technology.
[16] Iran's '20-Year Vision' document projects investment of over $32 billion in the country's tourism sector and targets 20 million tourists by 2025.
[42] In order to encourage domestic and foreign direct investment in this sector, the 50 percent tax exemption previously granted to tourism enterprises has been extended to include five-star hotels.
[38] As of 2016, international hotel operators investing in Iran are Rotana (Abu Dhabi), Accor (France), Meliá (Spain) and Steigenberger (Germany) among others.
In addition, a large proportion of Iranians traveling abroad are likely to be visiting family, especially in Europe, the US and Australia (~1 million).
