At the entrance of Imam Khomeini International Airport in Tehran, a considerable number of passengers are passing through passport control gates; among this crowd, the number of foreign tourists is often very small. This is in contrast to international airports – even in neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf or Turkey – where the situation is very different. But why does Iran, with its rich history and culture and abundant tourist attractions, seem unappealing to foreign tourists? And how is the image that mainstream media portrays of Iran today contributing to the lack of interest in visiting the country?

Iran is a country with many tourist attractions that can captivate any traveler. The magnificent Persepolis, bustling bazaars of Isfahan, mosques, historical buildings, and diverse and pristine nature in every corner of Iran are just some examples of these attractions. However, many foreign tourists who come to Iran do not encounter these attractions from the beginning of their trip. As soon as they leave the airport, they are faced with an unfamiliar image; mandatory hijab for women, restrictions on relationships between men and women, and overall lack of civil liberties are among the first unpleasant images for most foreign tourists in Iran.

But that’s not all; in the streets of the capital and other major cities of Iran, the lack of high-quality international hotels is clearly evident. Public transportation systems are also not efficient in many parts of Iranian cities, making it difficult to travel to different areas. These are the issues that tourists face after leaving the airport and encountering the realities of the country they have traveled to. These and more, such as the lack of diversity in restaurants and cafes, cultural and artistic centers that do not meet global standards, and social restrictions such as limited freedom in choosing clothing and consuming alcohol, as well as inadequate tourism infrastructure and low-quality tourist services, along with the absence of tour guides proficient in foreign languages, are generally the things that create an unfavorable image of Iran in the eyes of foreign tourists.

When we consider these factors alongside general insecurity and instability in certain regions of the country, which have a history of political unrest, economic and social protests more than ever in the past decade, the negative package of tourism in Iran is almost complete.

Tourism in an ideological attire

To better understand the reasons behind the decline of the tourism industry in Iran during the Islamic Republic era, we must take a look at the biggest achievement of Iran’s tourism industry in the past 45 years from the government’s perspective. After the revolution in February 1979, the majority of foreign tourists in Iran were from Muslim countries such as Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, or countries in the Caucasus and some East Asian countries. This significant presence of Muslim tourists is in contrast to the lack of interest shown by tourists from other countries, especially Western countries, in visiting Iran under the rule of the Islamic Republic over the past four decades. The main reason for this is that after the revolution, pilgrimage tourism and religious tourism, in general, became one of the main motivations for citizens of Muslim countries to travel to Iran. However, on the other hand, the neglect of historical, natural, and recreational tourism, which could be a major motivation for many Western citizens to visit Iran,

The story of statistics about the poor state of the tourism industry in Iran.

In a comparative look that the authorities in Tehran are proud of, during the peak of the tourism industry in Iran before the 1979 revolution, the available statistics show that in 1972, more than 550,000 foreign tourists traveled to Iran. The foreign currency income from tourism in that year was around 300 million dollars. However, in the past 45 years of the Islamic Republic of Iran government, in 2018, the highest number of foreign tourists was achieved in terms of both quantity and foreign currency income. In that year, 7.8 million foreign tourists visited Iran, generating a foreign currency income of around 11.8 billion dollars.

By highlighting the comparison of tourism statistics before and after the 1979 revolution, the authorities of the Islamic Republic are trying to mislead people’s minds. However, in order to understand the dire situation of tourism in Iran, it is better to pay attention to the comparison of statistics in this field between Iran and some of its neighboring countries.

For example, Turkey, the northwestern neighbor of Iran, hosted over 56 million foreign tourists in 2023, or the United Arab Emirates, one of Iran’s small neighbors on the Persian Gulf, hosted over 17 million foreign tourists in the same year. Interestingly, the tourism industry in these mentioned countries has had a significant gap with Iran during the years before the 1979 revolution.

What image of Iran is reflected in international media?

The 45-year performance of the political system in Iran has been very disappointing in the field of tourism. However, this is only one side of the story, and on the other hand, there is the image that exists of Iran in the media and public opinion of the world. The issue of attracting or repelling tourists to Iran is very significant, especially considering that the Islamic Republic has not only deliberately neglected the development of non-religious tourism, but has also performed very poorly in marketing its tourism market.

The image of Iran in international media is a complex and multifaceted one that is largely influenced by various factors such as politics, ideology, history, and culture. However, the current dominant portrayal of Iran in major mainstream media or global outlets is focused on issues such as Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, destabilizing regional activities of the Islamic Republic, dire human rights situation in Iran, and generally tense relations between Tehran and predominantly Western capitals.

Mainstream media in the world in recent years have, in some cases mostly in the form of images and documentary films, taken a half-glance at the history, nature, and lifestyle of Iranians. However, this image is almost lost among the usually negative images of these media of Iran today.

Of course, the political inclination of the media, the region and country of publication, and the type of media greatly influence the level of attention paid to Iran and whether it is portrayed in a negative or positive light. However, overall, the image of Iran reflected in Western media is often shaped by tension, concern, and suspicion.

The Iranian government is considered a threat to world peace and regional security by many countries today, and as a result, mainstream media outlets have no desire to deviate from this accepted narrative and instead focus on other aspects of Iran, such as its potential to attract more tourists.

Despite all the problems that hinder the growth of tourism in Iran, there is still hope that the world will see Iran in a different light and tourism will flourish in the country. However, this requires perhaps the biggest obstacle, which is the political system in Iran, to change. In the past 45 years, the Islamic Republic has shown that it not only fails to take fundamental steps towards addressing challenges, but also adds to the existing challenges. It has been proven that improving relations with the international community, reducing regional tensions, reforming social laws and regulations, developing tourism infrastructure, enhancing security, investing in marketing and advertising, facilitating visa issuance, and providing quality services to tourists are all essential needs for attracting foreign tourists to Iran. However, the Islamic Republic has shown no desire to fulfill these needs and it is not expected to do so. Therefore, it seems unlikely that a positive image of Iran will be presented in the media and public opinion of the world anytime soon.