TEHRAN – Some 7.3 million foreign tourists visited Iran during the Persian year 1403, which ended on March 20, 2025, according to Iran’s Deputy Minister for Tourism, Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpey.

Speaking to Mehr News Agency on Wednesday, Mohseni-Bandpey said the official figures for inbound tourism reached 7.3 million, marking a continued growth trend in the country’s tourism sector.

He emphasized that these numbers are based on internationally recognized definitions of tourism, which classify any individual who stays at least one night in a destination as a traveler, whether Iranian expatriates or foreign nationals.

The deputy minister noted that the ministry maintains detailed and disaggregated data regarding the origin countries of the visitors, the number of arrivals, and their destinations within Iran.

In addition to foreign tourism, Mohseni-Bandpey highlighted the record-breaking domestic travel figures during the two-week holidays of Nowruz 1404, when more than 36 million trips were recorded. He clarified that these statistics were compiled not merely based on vehicle movements but by analyzing mobile phone data to identify travelers’ final destinations, thereby minimizing inaccuracies and duplicate counts.

He stressed that the tourism ministry’s data collection methods are scientific and evidence-based. “We speak the language of statistics, and our data is rooted in reliable and verifiable sources,” he stated, adding that the ministry plans to hold an expert meeting with private sector representatives to further discuss the figures.

According to previously published data, Iran recorded 6.38 million foreign tourist arrivals in the Persian year 1402 and over 4.23 million in 1401.

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 28 are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

AM