Editing Economy of Iran (section)

==== Tourism and travel ====
{{Main|Tourism in Iran}}
[[File:Pasargades cyrus cropped.jpg|thumb|196px|[[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]]' tomb lies in [[Pasargadae]]. Iran is home to [[Table of World Heritage Sites by country|19 historic sites]] which have been inscribed on [[UNESCO]] World Heritage List.]]
Although tourism declined significantly during the war with Iraq, it has subsequently recovered. About 1,659,000 foreign tourists visited Iran in 2004 and 2.3 million in 2009 mostly from Asian countries, including the republics of [[Central Asia]], while about 10% came from the European Union and North America.<ref name="Encarta: Iran's entry">{{cite encyclopedia |encyclopedia=Microsoft Encarta |title=Iran's entry |url=http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567300_6/Iran.html |access-date=July 24, 2010 |year=2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028171829/http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567300_6/Iran.html |archive-date=October 28, 2009 }}</ref><ref name="Tourism">{{cite document |title = Iran Travel And Tourism Forecast |publisher = Economist Intelligence Unit |year = 2008 }}</ref>

The most popular tourist destinations are [[Mazandaran]], [[Isfahan]], [[Mashhad]] and [[Shiraz]].<ref>[http://www.tehrantimes.com/PDF/10978/10978-7.pdf Sightseeing and excursions in Iran] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418212600/http://www.tehrantimes.com/PDF/10978/10978-7.pdf |date=April 18, 2015 }}. ''Tehran Times'', September 28, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2011.</ref> In the early 2000s the industry faced serious limitations in infrastructure, communications, industry standards and personnel training.<ref name="LOC7" />  Several organized tours from Germany, France and other European countries come to Iran annually to visit archaeological sites and monuments. In 2003 Iran ranked 68th in tourism revenues worldwide.<ref name="IRNA5">[http://www.payvand.com/news/03/sep/1037.html Iran ranks 68th in tourism revenues worldwide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502003236/http://www.payvand.com/news/03/sep/1037.html |date=May 2, 2013 }}. Payvand/IRNA, September 7, 2003. Retrieved February 12, 2008.</ref> According to [[UNESCO]] and the deputy head of research for [[Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization|Iran Travel and Tourism Organization (ITTO)]], Iran is rated among the "10 most touristic countries in the world".<ref name="IRNA5" /> [[Domestic tourism]] in Iran is one of the largest in the world.<ref name=BYI>{{Cite book |last1 = Ayse |first1 = Valentine |url = http://www.investiniran.ir/en/filepool/26?redirectpage=%2fen%2febook |last2 = Nash |first2 = Jason John |last3 = Leland |first3 = Rice |title = The Business Year 2013: Iran |place = London, U.K. |publisher = The Business Year |date = January 2013 |page = 166 |isbn = 978-1-908180-11-7 |access-date = March 14, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161227193349/http://www.investiniran.ir/en/filepool/26?redirectpage=%2Fen%2Febook |archive-date = December 27, 2016 }}</ref>