WANA (Aug 22) – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, announced that:

 

  • Each tourist from the Persian Gulf countries brings in about $2,000,
  • Tourists from other countries bring in about $1,000,
  • Health tourists spend around $3,000.

 

According to the minister, around 7.4 million visitors came to Iran last year, generating approximately $7.4 billion in revenue. He added that 6.3 million tourists entered Iran in the past year, bringing in more than $7 billion for the country.

 

Based on these figures, it can be estimated that Iran’s tourism revenue last year exceeded $7 billion.

Tourists expressing their ideas about travelling to Iran/Photo By Behnam Yousefi/Social media/ WANA (West Asia News Agency)

In developed countries, tourism is considered one of the most important sources of income. Data from the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) for the top 50 tourist destinations in 2023 shows that Europe was the leading region, attracting about 489 million visitors and earning $471 billion in revenue.

 

According to the same statistics, the Middle East ranked just above Africa, recording relatively low numbers in both tourist arrivals and revenue. In 2023, around 135 million tourists visited the Middle East, generating about $169 billion for the region.

 

UNWTO data also indicates that in 2023, 5.8 million tourists traveled to Iran. Based on international standards and the average spending of tourists worldwide—about $1,200 per person—Iran could have earned around $6.9 billion in tourism revenue last year.