Iran earns $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in past year

TEHRAN – Iran generated about $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in the past Iranian calendar year (ended in March 2025), with more than 7 million international visitors arriving in the country, the culture minister said on Thursday.

Iran, Belarus agree to launch direct flights, ease visa rules

TEHRAN – Iran and Belarus have agreed to launch direct flights and expand tourism exchanges during President Masoud Pezeshkian’s visit to Minsk, Iran’s tourism minister said on Wednesday.

Fars province, cradle of the Achaemenid Empire, seeks tourism rise

TEHRAN – Iran’s Fars province, home to ancient Achaemenid sites including Persepolis and Pasargadae, recorded 7.4 million tourist visits last year, officials said, as the government steps up efforts to position the region as a leading cultural tourism hub.

Iran’s culture minister calls for accelerated excavations at ancient city of Istakhr

TEHRAN – Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts has urged faster archaeological excavations at the ancient city of Istakhr in southern Iran, citing the site’s historical importance and the need for stronger protection against illegal digging.

Pasargadae is a rich source of pride, tourism minister underlines

TEHRAN—Pasargadae is a rich source of pride, the unparalleled origin of Iranian culture and civilization, said Minister of Cultural Heritage Reza Salehi-Amiri during his field visit to Pasargadae in Fars province and in the presence of media members on Monday.

Cultural heritage minister visits Nodoushan historical texture in central Iran

TEHRAN—Minister of Cultural Heritage Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri visited the 50-hectare historical texture of Nodoushan district in Meybod county, Yazd province, on Saturday.

Last year’s handicrafts fair reached sales of $1.1m: deputy minister

TEHRAN--Deputy Minister of Handicrafts Maryam Jalali-Dehkordi announced sales of one trillion rials ($1.1 million) worth of handicrafts at the 37th National Handicrafts Exhibition which was held at Tehran’s Permanent Fairgrounds during November 13-16, 2024.

Tourism ministry proposes week-long public vacation for tourism boost

TEHRAN—Cultural Heritage Minister Reza Salehi-Amiri said that the government is pulling Iranian tourism out of the wartime recession with two national strategies and 14 operational mechanisms.

Reviving indigenous culture, one of advantages of eco-tourism resorts, minister

TEHRAN—Cultural Heritage Minister Reza Salehi-Amiri emphasized the strategic importance of eco-tourism resorts and considered them to be a concrete example of realizing the goal of public participation set by the Government.

Tourism minister visits Great Wall of Gorgan in northern Iran

TEHRAN - Iran’s tourism minister, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, paid a visit to the Great Wall of Gorgan on Thursday, where he inaugurated construction on the site’s first official visitor information center, which is regarded as a key milestone toward the wall’s eventual nomination for UNESCO World Heritage status.

By Afshin Majlesi

Cultural heritage is a voice against hostile narratives, Iran tourism minister says

TEHRAN – In a press conference held on Tuesday afternoon, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, along with his deputies, addressed the ministry’s role in shaping cultural resilience during the recent 12-day conflict with Israel.

Qazvin’s threefold strategy for tourism highlighted during ministerial visit

TEHRAN - The Governor-General of Qazvin province, Mohammad Nozari, has emphasized a comprehensive three-pronged approach to advancing tourism in the province, encompassing short-, medium-, and long-term strategies.

Alamut Castle nears UNESCO World Heritage status, tourism minister says

TEHRAN - Iran's Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts announced on Tuesday that the historic Alamut Castle is on the verge of possibly being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Iran’s museums remain closed until conditions are normal: minister

TEHRAN—Iran’s museums and historic sites will be closed until the government declares normal conditions for the country, said Cultural Heritage Minister Raza Salehi-Amiri.

Tourism minister hails national resilience, calls for cultural renewal

TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, has praised the Iranian people for demonstrating unity and maturity during the recent 12-day war with Israel.

4,000 historical sites, structures at risk from land subsidence, Iranian tourism minister warns

Tehran - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, announced during Sunday’s cabinet meeting that approximately 4,000 historical sites and buildings across the country are under threat due to land subsidence.

Iran sets target to attract two million medical tourists over five years

TEHRAN – The Iranian tourism minister has announced plans to significantly boost the country’s medical tourism sector, setting a target of attracting two million medical tourists annually within the next five years.

Iranian minister meets Pope Leo XIV in Vatican, delivers president’s message

TEHRAN – Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Reza Salehi Amiri, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Sunday, reaffirming Iran’s commitment to cultural diplomacy and interfaith dialogue.

Cultural heritage minister calls Ferdowsi architect of a borderless language

TEHRAN—Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has said the great poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi became the architect of a language which went beyond geographical borders of dialogue.

Iranian minister calls for renewed regional cooperation at ECO tourism symposium

TEHRAN – Iran’s tourism minister has called for a renewed approach to regional cooperation among the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), emphasizing deeper people-to-people ties and cultural exchange as the driving force behind sustainable tourism development in the region.

Iran proposes strategic tourism roadmap at D-8 meeting in Cairo

TEHRAN – On Tuesday, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, called for a transformative approach to tourism as a driver of sustainable peace and Islamic civilizational renewal during the 5th D-8 Senior Officials Meeting on Tourism, held Tuesday in Cairo.

Minister says cultural diplomacy holds key to stronger ties between Iran and Egypt

TEHRAN--Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri has described cultural diplomacy as the cornerstone of strengthening relations between Iran and Egypt.

Minister highlights Isfahan’s cultural significance at Iran-Africa conference

TEHRAN – In a speech marking the conclusion of the Third Iran-Africa Economic Cooperation Conference held in Isfahan, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, described the city as a “symbol of Iranian civilization”.

ECO tourism ministers convene in Erzurum to advance regional cooperation

TEHRAN - The 6th Ministerial Meeting on Tourism of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) convened on Saturday in Erzurum, the designated ECO Tourism Capital for 2025.

ECO tourism ministers plant symbolic trees in Erzurum

TEHRAN – On Saturday, tourism ministers from the member states of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) participated in a symbolic tree-planting ceremony in Turkey’s Erzurum to reaffirm their commitment to regional cooperation and sustainable tourism development.

Iran calls for balanced tourism exchange with Turkey

TEHRAN - Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, has highlighted a significant imbalance in tourism exchanges between Iran and Turkey, calling for a strategic review of policies to achieve a more equitable flow of tourists between the two nations.

Iran, Uzbekistan discuss extended co-op in tourism sector

TEHRAN - Senior officials from Iran and Uzbekistan have held talks aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation in the tourism sector, emphasizing their shared civilizational and cultural heritage as a foundation for closer collaboration.

Yazd recognized as world city of traditional jewelry by World Crafts Council

TEHRAN – The historic city of Yazd has been officially designated as the world city of traditional and handcrafted jewelry by the World Crafts Council (WCC), marking another significant international cultural achievement for Iran.

Aerial mapping of Jiroft archaeological sites conducted for first time

TEHRAN - For the first time, aerial mapping and imaging have been conducted over key archaeological sites in Jiroft, a region renowned for its Bronze Age ruins dating back to the 3rd millennium BC.