November 22, 2025
Web desk
Iran says its tourism sector is rebounding strongly, with 3.5 million religious tourists visiting the country last year, mostly from Iraq, the Persian Gulf, Central Asia, and the Caucasus, according to Tourism Minister Reza Salehi-Amiri.
Official data from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts shows Iran recorded 7.3 million foreign arrivals in the Persian year 1403 (ending March 20, 2025). The ministry says the figures follow global tourism standards, counting any traveler who stays at least one night in the country.
Local travel also hit a record during the Nowruz holidays, with more than 36 million domestic trips, tracked using mobile phone data to avoid duplication.
Salehi-Amiri said the ministry’s statistics rely on “scientific and verifiable methods” and plans to review the numbers with private-sector representatives. Past data shows 6.38 million arrivals in 1402 and 4.23 million in 1401, signaling a steady recovery.
