TEHRAN – On Thursday, Tehran province’s vision document for medical tourism was unveiled on the final day of the 17th Tehran International Tourism & Related Industries Exhibition.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Reza Hemati, the provincial tourism chief, and a number of people who visited Tehran’s pavilion at the major exhibition.

Hemati stated that the purpose of that comprehensive document is to create a road-map for the development of medical and health tourism in Tehran province.

“The vision document encompasses all medical and therapeutic capacities conducive to the expansion of health tourism.”

Additionally, it outlines the participation and collaboration of the healthcare sector, medical universities, and the provincial tourism department as the custodians of the tourism industry, he emphasized.

The announcement marks a significant milestone in Tehran's efforts to position itself as a premier destination for health tourism because of its rich medical resources and cultural heritage.

Experts say medical tourism in Iran is a win-win opportunity both for the country and foreign patients, as they are offered affordable yet quality treatment services and the country gains considerable foreign currency.

The Islamic Republic is branded globally as an affordable destination for health and medical tourism. Credible surgeons and physicians, cutting-edge medical technologies, high-tech medicine and diverse specializations, affordable procedures, and finally, its hospitable people, are considered Iran’s trump card when it comes to medical tourism.

The country was ranked 46th destination for medical tourism [within the 2020-2021 Medical Tourism Index]. According to available data, patients from neighboring countries, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Oman, Bahrain, Armenia, and Tajikistan, constitute the lion’s share of medical tourists arriving in the Islamic Republic.

AM