After the Iran Nuclear Deal took effect and some sanctions were lifted, Iran saw a surge in tourism, up three-fold since 2009. In the year ending March 2017, more than 6 million tourists visited the country. Many of the tourists were young, individual travelers from Europe and Asia who were interested in Iran’s history and culture. As a result of this influx of tourists, hotel firms from France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates have opened or plan to open hotels there within the next few years.

Today’s market size shows the total amount tourists spent in Iran in 2016, in U.S. dollars.

Geographic reference: Iran
Year: 2016
Market size: $8 billion
Source: Alkhalisi, Zahraa, “Iran’s Tourism Industry is Booming,” CNN Money, September 5, 2017 available online here.
Image source: By seier+seier+seier (friday mosque, isfahan, iran) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons