TEHRAN - More than 36 million domestic trips were made across Iran during the Nowruz holidays this year, according to final statistics released at a session of the Traveling Services Coordination Headquarters, chaired by Deputy Minister of Tourism Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpey on Sunday.

From March 15 to April 4, a total of 36,519,671 trips were recorded, while 60,970,523 overnight stays were registered across official, semi-official, and emergency accommodation facilities, said Seyyed Mostafa Fatemi, secretary of the headquarters. Notably, of the mentioned figure, 10.37 million overnight stays occurred in official lodging facilities.

The provinces of Mazandaran, Gilan, Khorasan Razavi, Tehran, and Isfahan saw the highest influx of travelers, while Mashhad, Shiraz, Tehran, Isfahan, and Bandar Abbas ranked among the top visited cities, Fatemi noted.

He emphasized that various indicators were used to calculate travel figures, including lodging occupancy, fuel consumption, road traffic, waste generation, and mobile network data. He added that for the first time, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) contributed mobile phone data to track movement patterns, indicating a 2% increase in mobility compared to the previous year.

He also reported a 15% year-on-year increase in school-based accommodations (totaling 3.5 million overnight stays), and 359,601 overnight stays at religious sites under the supervision of the State Endowment and Charity Affairs Organization.

In his remarks, Mohseni-Bandpey described this year’s Nowruz travel coordination as “effective,” praising the cooperation of various government ministries and agencies. He cited improved service quality and logistical coordination, noting that no lengthy fuel station queues were reported, and emerging destinations such as Ilam, Lorestan, North Khorasan, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Kordestan, and Alborz witnessed notable increases in visitation due to strategic promotional campaigns.

The deputy minister also announced plans to make the Traveling Services Coordination Headquarters a permanent body, aiming to develop a structured policy package and gain greater authority in traffic, emergency, and tourism-related matters.

Regarding public complaints, he said over 301,000 calls were received by the monitoring system, with no significant reports of unauthorized accommodation price hikes, except in some free zones, where communication gaps persisted. In many cities, hotel associations had already provided 20–40% discounts for 10-day stays.

Addressing social concerns, Mohseni-Bandpey acknowledged criticisms about the lack of formal services for those camping or staying in tents. However, he defended the inter-agency model and pointed to examples of Red Crescent, police, and emergency services being present across informal stay areas. He noted that over 4.6 million visits were made to cultural heritage sites, generating 560 billion tomans in handicraft sales.

The deputy tourism minister also addressed concerns about road safety and infrastructure, citing a modest drop of about ten percent in traffic fatalities.

In terms of environmental initiatives, he said the headquarters had launched a new campaign called “Travel Without Waste”, separating the environmental committee from the health and safety division. He highlighted the need for greater awareness around waste and plastic use, especially in coastal regions.

During the session, representatives of various ministries and committees, including health, transportation, emergency response, and law enforcement, presented reports on their Nowruz holiday activities. Officials reaffirmed the goal of making travel more accessible, safe, and sustainable for all Iranians, particularly in the face of economic challenges.

Nowruz is a historic rite observed annually on 21 March in many countries along the Silk Roads. This marks the New Year, announces spring, and the rebirth of nature. The cross-cultural celebration means No –new– and rouz –day– in Persian. Therefore, Nowruz signifies new day, and symbolizes new beginnings. People from different religious and cultural backgrounds celebrate Nowruz. The return of spring has a great spiritual significance, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, and joy over sorrow.

Over time, Nowruz has developed and expanded, incorporating new social, religious, and cultural influences. Although the traditions and customs of Nowruz vary from country to country, there are many unifying features. In most regions, before the festival people perform ritual dances such as leaping over fire and streams. Many households also replenish their water supplies on the last Wednesday of the year.

Another common ritual and widespread tradition is the preparation of a Nowruz table. The objects on the table symbolize purity, brightness, abundance, happiness, and fertility for the New Year. On Nowruz day, people feast, visit family members and friends, and exchange gifts. These practices are a good way to socialize with loved ones and strengthen deep-rooted bonds of friendship. Nowruz is also an occasion for traditional cultural activities, combining common practices with local customs, such as poetry, music, open-air festivities or local street performances.

In recognition of the importance of this ancient rite, Nowruz was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Moreover, in 2010, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March International Nowruz Day.

AM