Cultural and Religious Tourism Development in Iran: Prospects and Challenges

Tourism phenomenon is significantly based on the sociocultural dimensions of any society. This is particularly true in the case of Iran, a country that possesses a large number of cultural heritage and religious attractions. Overall tourism policies in Iran can be considered as much more consequential from the standpoint of the country’s specific socio-religious context rather than from explicit planning patterns. In Iran, religious tourists tend to concentrate mostly at the Shia shrines of Imam Reza in Mashhad and that of his sister Fatima in Qom. This study aims to contribute to the still emerging scientific debate around the prospects and challenges of tourism development in Iran, giving particular attention to its potential growth in religious tourism development.