ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to introduce features of the domestic tourism market in Iran and the challenges it has had to deals with over the course of time and under different governments' development plans. Domestic tourism throughout the world is a significant yet often a somewhat invisible portion of economic activities in the tourism industry. The chapter analyses mainly on official government sources, including data gathered from policy statements, development plans, and archives. It is noteworthy that uniform statistics are not always available in Iran and various statistical sources in Iran represent to some extent contradictory information and facts about tourism. Different administrations in Iran have recognized the need for the development of domestic tourism as a response to the inadequate number of international tourist arrivals. The travel preferences of domestic tourists cover a complete spectrum from traditional low budget pilgrimage to special interest tourism with higher expenditure.
