TEHRAN--Tourist arrivals to Iran have returned to normal level in the second half of current Iranian year. The number of tourist arrivals has increased from minus 52 to plus 10 percent, and this trend is continuing rapidly.

Announcing this, Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri told ISNA on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday that given the increase in the number of tourists, travel agencies cannot be closed unless there are other reasons that need to be investigated. 

Pointing to the annual statistics of the outbound tourists, he said: “The statistics of outbound tourists are clear, and each family decides its travel destinations based on its income. On average, between 8 and 9 million tourists go abroad annually, which of course experience ups and downs in different circumstances, but the average in previous years has not changed significantly.”

Earlier, Salehi-Amiri said: “In October and November, we returned to normal conditions before the 12-day Israeli war, and this favorable situation has begun again,” Mehr news agency reported.

Salehi-Amiri also said that the development of health tourism is one of the priorities of Tourism Ministry. 

“In this regard, a comprehensive medical tourism system has been designed in collaboration with member agencies, including the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor, the Social Security Organization, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and all relevant agencies, which will be unveiled in the near future.”

Close to 4.5 million tourists from target countries visited Iran during the first half of current Iranian year (March-September 2025), said Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri.

According to data compiled by the Tourism Ministry, Iran generated about $7.4 billion from foreign tourism in the past Iranian calendar year (ended in March 2025), while it hosted more than 7 million international visitors.

The Islamic Republic expects to reap a bonanza from its numerous tourist spots such as bazaars, museums, mosques, bridges, bathhouses, madrasas, mausoleums, churches, towers, and mansions, of which 29 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

KD