Tourism sector set for ‘smart overhaul’ under new year policy framework
Iran’s cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts sector is moving toward a “smart management” overhaul in the new Iranian year which started March 21, as the government seeks to rebuild and reposition the industry following a turbulent year marked by regional conflict and domestic disruption, according to statements published by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.
Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri said in the preface to a newly released policy booklet that Iran is drafting a scenario-based governance framework for tourism in the current year, describing the sector as a strategic pillar of national development and international engagement.
“In Iranian thought, culture is not merely a collection of artifacts and rituals, but the foundation of national identity,” Salehi-Amiri said, stressing that heritage, tourism and handicrafts form a unified civilizational system capable of strengthening social cohesion and national resilience.
He added that tourism today functions beyond economics, calling it a “strategic industry” and a channel for global communication. “Tourism is a language of peace and dialogue,” he said, noting its role in shaping international perceptions of Iran and expanding soft power.
The minister said the government’s new framework follows what he described as an “unusual” year in 2025 and early 2026, when regional tensions and multiple security incidents disrupted travel flows, reduced foreign arrivals, and strained hotels, tour operators, eco-tourism businesses and handicraft producers.
Despite the setbacks, Salehi-Amiri said the experience exposed structural weaknesses while also clarifying opportunities for reform. He emphasized that Iran’s diverse tourism assets, spanning cultural, religious, medical, coastal, rural and ecological segments, require professional and data-driven management to support sustainable national growth.
Deputy Tourism Minister Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpey said the disruptions showed the urgency of a unified policy roadmap.
He described tourism as more than an economic activity, calling it a factor in “social resilience, psychological stability and national cohesion.”
He noted that reduced foreign arrivals during periods of heightened tension affected employment, service quality and human capital in the sector, warning that without a coordinated framework, policy fragmentation could weaken long-term development.
Mohseni-Bandpey said the 2026 strategy must rely on academic research, scenario planning and future-oriented analysis to prepare for multiple possible outcomes. “In unstable conditions, a coherent and dynamic policy framework is indispensable,” he said.