Ardabil Province tops Iran in foreign tourism development
The director general of the Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization of Ardabil Province has announced that the province has ranked first nationally in an evaluation of foreign tourism development for the second consecutive year.
Jalil Jabbari said the achievement was based on the results announced by the Foreign Tourism Evaluation and Development Department of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts in the area of foreign tourism marketing and development for the past Iranian year (ended March 20, 2026), according to IRNA.
Ardabil Province also ranked first in foreign tourism marketing and development two years ago, and maintaining the position demonstrates the department’s continued efforts to promote the province’s tourism potential beyond Iran’s borders, he said.
Jabbari added that Ardabil’s tourism attractions and potential have been promoted nationally to a considerable extent in recent years, with the results reflected in the growing number of domestic tourists visiting the province. However, more efforts are still needed to develop foreign tourism so that, as conditions in Iran and the region improve, the province can attract more international visitors.
He said national and international events and festivals have been held in recent years, bringing greater attention to tourism in the province among residents and travelers than in previous years.
Meanwhile, Moslem Shojaei, director general of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts’ Foreign Tourism Marketing and Development Department, announced the results of the evaluation of provincial departments’ performance in foreign tourism marketing and development.
He said Ardabil maintained its strong performance, ranking first nationally among provincial departments for the second consecutive year, while Qazvin and East Azarbaijan ranked second and third, respectively.
Shojaei said the results of last year’s evaluation showed the continued implementation of targeted approaches by provinces active in the international tourism sector and the extent to which their measures were aligned with policies and guidelines issued by the ministry’s tourism deputy.
He added that Ardabil’s first-place ranking and its continuation from the past year demonstrated the province’s ongoing capacity-building, planning and follow-up efforts in foreign tourism marketing and development.
With a rich heritage of historical and cultural attractions, including the UNESCO-listed Sheikh Safi al-Din Ardabili Shrine Ensemble and Saein Stone Caravanserai, as well as more than 900 registered immovable historical sites on Iran’s National Heritage List, Ardabil Province is considered one of the country’s major destinations for domestic and international tourists.
Located in northwestern Iran, Ardabil Province comprises 12 counties and is one of the country’s main destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.