Iran records 1.2M health tourists in 2024, official says
Medical tourism emerges as key sector alongside pilgrimage and cultural travel
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Iran welcomed 1.2 million health tourists last year, reflecting strong growth in the country’s medical tourism industry, a senior official said.
Muslim Shojaei, Director General of the Foreign Tourism Marketing and Development Office at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism, said health tourism now stands as one of Iran’s leading competitive advantages.
“Alongside pilgrimage and historical-cultural tourism, medical services represent one of our three main products where we can compete internationally,” he stated.
According to Shojaei, Iran received a total of 7.4 million visitors in 2024, with 1.2 million seeking healthcare services. Popular treatments included hair transplants, cosmetic surgeries, organ transplants, and infertility procedures, offered across medical centers nationwide.
He cited figures from the Medical Tourism Association (MTA), noting the global market for health tourism is valued at about $47 billion annually, with 18–20 million patients spending on average $2,500 to $3,000 each.
“Iran’s share of this market is notable despite current challenges, though the sector performed even better before the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019,” he said.
Shojaei added that external factors, including the recent 12-Day War launched by Israel and the United States against Iran, temporarily disrupted patient inflows, negatively affecting health tourism.
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