TEHRAN – Tehran is ranked second after Dubai in terms of tourism market size and share of the country’s GDP from the span of 2007-2017, according to the latest World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) report published in October.

Based on the report, the travel & tourism contribution to GDP in the Iranian capital has become more than doubled in the past ten years and is expected to increase by 1.5 times in the next ten years.

“Tehran accounts for nearly a third of Iran’s overall travel & tourism GDP and 20% of overall tourism employment.”

According to another WTTC report, visitor exports in Iran grew at an average rate of 19.9% during 2011-17 with the strongest growth witnessed during 2013 and 2014, when a newly elected government adopted a looser visa policy.

Home to hundreds of historical monuments and natural heritage including 22 UNESCO World Heritage sites, Iran has launched extensive plans to bolster its tourism sector. Under the 2025 Tourism Vision Plan, the country is expecting to increase the number of tourism arrivals from 4.8 million in 2014 to 20 million.

AFM/MQ/PA