Iran Ministry of Tourism announces museum expansion and coastal development plans

Iran's Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts is implementing new strategies to expand the country's tourism infrastructure and museum network. Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri announced a goal to open 100 new museums annually to support the ‘one city, one museum’ initiative. Currently, there are 800 museums in the country, with approximately 62% operated by the private sector.

A new ‘Tourism on the Coast’ program is being developed to transform the southern coastline—stretching from Chabahar and Makran through Hormozgan, Bushehr, and Khuzestan—into a primary tourism hub. This includes developing coastal accommodations, piers, and marinas to leverage the region's maritime potential.

In Golestan, officials are working to facilitate private sector investment and promote lesser-known destinations. The Central Headquarters for Coordinating Travel Services aims to balance tourism distribution by directing travelers toward underutilized regions through targeted content and marketing, specifically noting the influence of the under-15 demographic on family travel decisions.