Iranian Journal of Public Policy

Iranian Journal of Public Policy

Policy Solutions to Achieve Iran's Inbound Tourism Goals in the Seventh Development Plan

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
Rahim Abolhasani 1
Sahand Aghdaie 2
1 Associate Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Law And Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Ph.d. Student of Political Sociology, Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran , Iran
10.22059/jppolicy.2026.107729
Abstract
Despite its remarkable cultural, historical, and natural advantages, Iran’s tourism industry has so far failed to achieve the strategic targets set out in the country’s upstream policy documents. The target of attracting 20 million foreign tourists by 2025, as defined in the Twenty-Year Vision Document, has clearly been missed, with only 36.5 percent of the target achieved. The Seventh Development Plan sets a revised but still ambitious target of attracting 15 million tourists by 2028, which requires an annual growth rate of 25 percent in inbound tourism. Drawing on SWOT analysis and comparative studies of regional countries, the present study examines structural barriers, competitive advantages, and regional opportunities. The findings indicate that achieving this target will be possible only through redesigning governance strategies, improving infrastructure, diversifying source markets, enhancing destination management, and producing reliable disaggregated data. By outlining the main components of a medium-term programme, this article seeks to contribute to the formation of a realistic and data-driven approach to tourism policymaking in Iran.
Keywords
Inbound Tourism
SWOT Analysis
Seventh Development Plan
Policy Solutions
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Iranian Journal of Public Policy
Volume 12, Issue 2
Spring 2026
Pages 10-27