Iran reports 43% surge in tourism arrivals in 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Tourism arrivals in Iran rose by 43% last year, allowing the country to ascend in the global ranking of top destinations by six places, according to data released by the United Nations tourism agency (UNWTO).

The figures by the World Tourism Organization cited in a Tuesday report by the IRNA showed that some 5.9 million tourists had arrived in Iran last year, up from 4.1 million reported in 2022.

The surge allowed Iran to move up six places to 34th in UNWTO’s ranking of top international destinations.

Tourist arrivals in Iran had increased by four times in 2022 compared to 2021 when the spread of the coronavirus pandemic had hit the industry hard.