Iran is the cheapest tourist destination: WEF

For the third time, Iran has been chosen as the most affordable foreign tourists’ destination, according to the latest Travel and Tourism Competitiveness report published by World Economic Forum (WEF).

The biennial report surveys 136 countries in 14 categories and tells how well these countries could deliver sustainable economic and social benefits through their tourism sector.

The report states that Iran in terms of price competitiveness is ranked above big players of tourism industry such as Egypt, Malaysia, Russia, Turkey, Greece, Spain, the US, France, and Italy.

It indicates how costly it is to travel or invest in countries. Costs relating to travel such as ticket prices, fuel rates, and taxes as well as ground costs including accommodation and food prices are the indicators for “price competitiveness”.

Overall, Iran has improved in travel and tourism competitiveness ranking which is topped by countries including Spain, France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the US, Australia, Italy, Canada, and Switzerland.

“Starting from different levels, Iran, Bahrain, Morocco, and Algeria have all improved their security significantly,” the report added.

“These results are of significant importance, as tourism helps economic growth and job creation—up to 1/10th of global GDP and jobs are tourism-related,” WEF said.