TEHRAN – Iran’s Vice President for Executive Affairs Mohammad Jafar Ghaempanah on Thursday called on tourism operators to improve service standards and develop innovative products, saying the government would work to remove barriers to growth.

Ghaempanah made the remarks at a ceremony honoring veteran tourism workers and industry activists held at the Kooshk-e Bagh-e Honar complex in Tehran’s Abbasabad cultural zone during Tourism Week, which was commenced on September 27, concurrent with the World Tourism Day.

“We must make the tourist’s path from decision to experience short, transparent and predictable,” Ghaempanah said. He added that domestic banks should be used to support rural tourism and that investment regulations should be streamlined and digitized to encourage private participation.

He added that data on tourist arrivals and departures was essential for planning infrastructure and that attention should be given to capital markets, health tourism, and regional travel packages. “If local communities benefit from tourism, they will advance,” he said.

“I commit myself to work on removing barriers to tourism development, but you should strive for standardization of services and the creation of innovative products,” Ghaempanah told participants.

Also, Mohammad Hossein Hejazi, head of the Abbasabad cultural and tourism district, said the industry must pursue a sustainable development path despite current challenges. He added that Abbasabad has been promoted as an urban eco-park and model for cultural innovation.

During the event, officials also unveiled the poster for a new book titled I Am from Tehran, produced by a team led by tourism researcher Arash Nooraghayee, with the participation of the head of Tehran’s cultural heritage department.

Earlier is September, Salehi-Amiri said that Iran seeks to  increase its foreign arrivals to protect 1.6 million jobs in the sector and sustain 22,000 accommodation centers, 6,000 travel agencies, 15,000 tour guides, and 3,000 eco-lodges. The minister identified Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Persian Gulf neighbors, particularly Iraq, as priority markets for tourism. He added that other Islamic countries, such as Egypt and Indonesia, are also important targets.

According to official figures, 6.2 million foreign tourists visited Iran in 1402 (Mar. 2023-Mar.2024) and 7.39 million in 1403. The minister said the government had aimed for 25% growth in arrivals this year, but numbers dropped in June and July due to a 12-day conflict [the Israeli-imposed war on Iran, which was launched on June 13, 2025].

Under Iran’s Seventh National Development Plan, the country seeks to raise foreign tourist arrivals to 15 million [in a year]. Salehi-Amiri added that this requires an annual growth of 19.5%. He also asked the parliamentary research center to provide proposals to help revive the industry following the recent conflict.

AM