Ardabil ranks first in Iran for foreign tourism development for second consecutive year

TEHRAN – Ardabil has ranked first among Iran’s provincial cultural heritage departments in the 2025 assessment of foreign tourism marketing and development, retaining the top position for the second consecutive year, a provincial official said.

Jalil Jabari, director general of Ardabil’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, said the ranking was based on an assessment by the foreign tourism marketing and development office of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts.

He said Ardabil had also ranked first in foreign tourism marketing and development in 2024, adding that maintaining the position reflects the province’s continued efforts to promote its tourism potential beyond Iran’s borders.

“Ardabil’s tourism capacities have also been introduced across the country to a considerable extent in recent years, and the results can be seen in the growing interest of domestic travelers,” Jabari said. “However, we still need to step up efforts to develop foreign tourism so that, as conditions in the country and the region improve, we can attract more international visitors.”

He pointed to a series of national and international events held in the province in recent years, including festivals celebrating nomadic migration, grapes, pomegranates, apples, ash (a Persian soup filled with fresh herbs, and leafy greens, a name a few) and other local foods, saying such events have helped draw greater attention to Ardabil as a tourism destination.

Moslem Shojaei, director general of foreign tourism marketing and development at the ministry, announced the results of the 2025 assessment, saying Ardabil had retained first place among provincial departments, followed by Qazvin and East Azarbaijan provinces. He said the assessment results reflected the continued implementation of targeted approaches by provinces active in international tourism and the extent to which their measures complied with policies and guidelines issued by the ministry’s tourism deputy.

Located in northwestern Iran, Ardabil province comprises 12 counties and is known for its historical, cultural and natural attractions. Among its major heritage attractions is the Sheikh Safi al-Din Khanegah and Shrine Ensemble in the provincial capital, which is inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Ardabil, the capital city, lies on a high plateau east of Mount Sabalan and is known for its cold climate, natural landscapes and long-standing traditions in carpet and silk production. It was named the Economic Cooperation Organization’s Tourism Capital for 2023.