The deputy minister of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Anoushirvan Mohseni Bandpey, said that Iran was placed on the list of the world’s 20 tourism destinations before the 12-day war, which is a sign of mature policy-making, the resilience of Iran’s tourism industry, and the opening of a new window to general diplomacy through the “Visit Iran” website.
Pointing to the documented analysis by the UN Tourism, Bandpey said that according to new reports by the organization, Iran is listed among the 20 tourism destinations.
He said that the statistics on Iran’s tourism are for the three months of January, February, and March 2025; a period of time when Iran experienced the best performance in tourism in the region in attracting international tourists and turned into a pattern of stability, attraction, and diversity in tourism destinations.
Bandpey said that this status is not only a sign of Iran’s actual tourism potential but also a testimony to smart policy-making, synergy in the private sector, development of infrastructure, and using correct narratives from Iran’s real image. Now, more than ever before, we need persistence and deepening of the path of international marketing.
The official said that the website “Visit Iran” is a communication gateway linking Iran to world tourism.
He hoped that by passing the recent crisis, Iran could recover its status in world tourism — not as a far ideal, but as a possible goal.
