Vice President Calls for Elevated Service Standards in the Tourism Sector

In a recent announcement, Iran’s Vice President for Executive Affairs, Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah, emphasized the need for tourism operators to enhance their service standards and cultivate innovative products. This call to action aims to propel the Iranian tourism sector forward, with the government pledging to eliminate obstacles hindering growth. His remarks came during a ceremony held at the Kooshk-e Bagh-e Honar complex in Tehran’s Abbasabad cultural zone, coinciding with Tourism Week that began on September 27, aligning with the global celebration of World Tourism Day.

Ghaempanah stated, “We must make the tourist’s path from decision to experience short, transparent and predictable.” He underscored the importance of utilizing domestic banks to support rural tourism initiatives, advocating for the streamlining and digitization of investment regulations to foster private sector involvement in tourism.

He further highlighted the significance of collecting data on tourist arrivals and departures, which is crucial for planning infrastructure effectively. Ghaempanah mentioned that focus should be directed towards various aspects of tourism, including:

• Capital markets
• Health tourism
• Regional travel packages

“If local communities benefit from tourism, they will advance,” Ghaempanah noted, reflecting on the positive ripple effects of a thriving tourism sector. He pledged to work diligently on removing barriers to tourism development while encouraging industry stakeholders to strive for service standardization and innovative product creation.

During the event, Mohammad Hossein Hejazi, the head of the Abbasabad cultural and tourism district, stressed the importance of pursuing a sustainable development path for the industry amidst existing challenges. He shared that Abbasabad is being promoted as an urban eco-park and a model of cultural innovation.

Additionally, officials unveiled the poster for a new book titled I Am from Tehran, which was produced by a team led by tourism researcher Arash Nooraghayee, in collaboration with the head of Tehran’s cultural heritage department.

Earlier in September, Salehi-Amiri, the tourism minister, expressed Iran’s ambition to increase foreign arrivals in order to protect approximately 1.6 million jobs within the sector. This includes sustaining:

• 22,000 accommodation centers
• 6,000 travel agencies
• 15,000 tour guides
• 3,000 eco-lodges

He identified key target markets for tourism growth, including Central Asia, the Caucasus, and neighboring Persian Gulf countries, particularly Iraq. Other Islamic nations, such as Egypt and Indonesia, were also highlighted as significant targets for increased tourism.

According to official statistics, Iran welcomed 6.2 million foreign tourists in the year 1402 (from March 2023 to March 2024) and projected an increase to 7.39 million in 1403. The minister noted that the government had set a target for a 25% growth in arrivals for the current year; however, statistics revealed a decline in June and July due to a brief 12-day conflict related to the Israeli-imposed war on Iran that began on June 13, 2025.

As part of Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan, the country aims to boost foreign tourist arrivals to 15 million annually. Salehi-Amiri pointed out that achieving this goal necessitates an annual growth rate of 19.5%. He also urged the parliamentary research center to formulate proposals that would aid in revitalizing the tourism industry in the aftermath of the recent conflict.

With a strategic focus on enhancing service quality and leveraging innovative tourism products, Iran is poised to strengthen its position in the global tourism market while fostering economic growth and local community benefits.