Tourism in Iran

Tourism in Iran is a major sector of the Iranian economy, contributing about 3% to the national GDP in 2023. Over 7 million tourists visited the country in 2024. Major destinations for tourists include the Alborz and Zagros mountains, which provide a range of hiking and skiing opportunities, and beaches on the Persian Gulf and the Caspian Sea. Tourism to historical sites has grown in the 21st century. Iran receives a large number of tourists from China, Russia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.

The international tourism sector is highly sensitive to political unrest, and thus varies widely year by year. The tourism sector is further stymied by lacking infrastructure (including roads, toilets, and hotels), enforcement of Islamic law (particularly dress codes for women), difficulty in currency conversions, lack of internet, and security concerns.

Iran first attempted to cultivate a major tourist industry under the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. International tourism sharply decreased after the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and gradually grew in the decades after. After 2023, international tourism to Iran again dropped markedly because of security problems including the detention of foreign nationals in Iran (hostage diplomacy).

The United States Department of State advises westerners to restrain from travelling to Iran due to arbitrary arrests made by the Iranian government to induce ransom payments. During times of unrest and conflict, most recently in late 2025 and 2026, the State Department has issued a Level 4 "do not travel" travel advisory for potential visitors, and advised dual nationals to conceal their non-Iranian passports.

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