Iran touts safety, hospitality as it targets 15mn tourists by 2029
Tour operators can help reshape the world’s perception of Iran by showing its “beauty, safety and hospitality,” a senior tourism official said on Tuesday, urging stronger global ties through cultural travel.
Speaking at a business-to-business (B2B) tourism event at the International Tour Operators Forum in Tehran, Deputy Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey, called on international tour operators to present a “true and real” image of Iran, IRNA reported.
The gathering came as Iran continues its post-pandemic push to revive the tourism sector and meet its ambitious target of attracting 15 million foreign tourists annually by 2029.
“Tourism is a tool for peace,” Mohseni Bandpey said. “It brings nations together, encouraging mutual understanding and direct connection.”
According to official figures, Iran welcomed 7.4 million foreign visitors in 2023. The deputy minister said the country is aiming to more than double that figure within four years, backed by nearly 2,500 tourism infrastructure projects — including the construction of 500 hotels.
Iran boasts some of the richest cultural and natural offerings in the region. With 54 sites on the UNESCO World Heritage list — 28 tangible and 26 intangible — it ranks among the world’s top 10 countries in terms of tourism assets.
Mohseni Bandpey also pointed to improving logistics. Over 30 international airlines operate in the country, and around 3,000 eco-lodges have opened in picturesque villages and remote regions.
“Creative tourism” is at the heart of Iran’s strategy, he said, emphasizing the human desire to connect. He expressed hope that meetings like Tuesday’s would “lead to bilateral agreements” between countries and tour professionals.
The official opened the event by extending sympathy to the families of those killed in a recent incident at Bandar Imam in Hormozgan Province and offered warm greetings to visitors who had “traveled to magnificent Iran.”