According to official statistics, despite the presence of natural, historical and cultural attractions in Iran, the implementation of social and recreational restrictions and restrictions imposed by the specific laws of the Islamic political system has led to a lack of development in the tourism industry in Iran. These laws, especially in the field of women’s rights, are highly discriminatory and in the new law of hijab and chastity – which is about to be implemented – goes so far as to be referred to by United Nations human rights experts as “gender apartheid”. In this law, the basic rights of women are ignored and women may face high fines and long-term imprisonment for their clothing. Even without this law, the government has deprived women who oppose mandatory hijab of many social rights through confidential and illegal circulars, including access to public services, airport services, use of the metro and public transportation, and in general, the right to participate in social, economic and cultural activities.

In addition to the discussion of hijab and the lack of freedom for women in choosing their clothing, which is related to their physical integrity, women in Iran are facing widespread violations of their rights based on the country’s laws, some of which are derived from religious and Islamic laws. These discriminations and the way women are treated in society have created unacceptable images in the eyes of the public at the global level. Women in Iran are not allowed to leave the country without their husband’s permission, have free and unrestricted access to sports stadiums, sing, obtain a driver’s license, have equal inheritance rights as men, receive equal compensation for injuries, have the right to be a witness in court, and have the right to divorce. There are also many other violations of women’s rights that have cultural dimensions and can be attributed to the government’s neglect and inaction in this area, which makes women more vulnerable.

In a society like this, with such limitations imposed on half of the country’s population and the extension of restrictive laws on women’s rights and freedoms to foreign female tourists, as addressed in Article 23 of the new Hijab and Chastity Law under the title “Explanation of the Family-Centered Islamic Lifestyle”, the development of tourism industry – which plays a fundamental role in the sustainable development of society in every aspect – seems unimaginable. In fact, the ruling system in Iran, inspired by Islamic ideology and interpretation of jurisprudential rules, believes that the disregard for Islamic hijab by foreign tourists and the non-compliance of foreign female tourists with the behaviors and values of Islamic society leads to the “dominance of infidels over Muslims”. Referring to the jurisprudential rule of “negation of the path”, it declares that any non-Muslim who enters Iran as a tourist is obligated to respect Islamic beliefs and legal hijab. This belief is based on the Islamic ruling

In addition, widespread and egregious violations of human rights in Iran, particularly in the area of women’s rights and the spread of gender-based violence, have weakened Iran’s international reputation and led to its expulsion from international institutions. Iran’s expulsion from the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women is a prominent example of this. Such actions by the international community, while isolating the Islamic Republic, also have a direct and significant impact on the global public’s perception of Iran as a tourist destination, similar to economic sanctions that aim to weaken the Islamic Republic’s economy and the livelihood of its people. In fact, the behavior of the government in Iran towards its citizens, especially women, and its blatant violations of their rights, have turned Iran into a tense country, with the closest result being a blow to the growth of the tourism industry. In addition, the existence of discriminatory laws against women and the lack of protective laws for women not only violate women’s rights, but also lead to anti-women behavior

As a result, it can be said that the issue of hijab for foreign tourists, the separation of women from men in many tourist places and attractions, and other restrictions that exist in Iranian laws, will definitely have an impact on the tourism sector and the destination choices of foreign individuals. However, the government’s treatment of women in society and the widespread discrimination against women, the harsh suppression of peaceful protests against mandatory hijab and its coverage in global media, the Islamic Republic’s exploitation of dual citizens and the detention and trial of some of these individuals for scoring points and prisoner exchange, have turned Iran into an unsafe destination for tourists, which directly affects their decision to choose Iran as a travel destination. In fact, the government’s view of women in Iran as second-class citizens, blatant discrimination and gross violations of women’s rights, cultural discrimination against women, and gender-based violence, have all introduced Iran as an unsafe destination for foreign female tourists and have hindered the growth of this industry in Iran.