Isfahan

Isfahan, Iran, scores 32 on the CIRA Index of tourism resilience, #298 of 309 destinations. 21 of 29 measures come from public sources, with 64% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: 32
• OECD: 34
• UN Tourism: 41
• UNDRR: 30

Strongest

• Municipal waste per resident: 182.5 kg per resident per year (MDPI Sustainability / Isfahan Municipal Waste Management Organization, 2020). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
• Domestic share of nights: 99.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Tehran Times / Isfahan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, Mar–Aug 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Iran Airports Company / Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, 2025–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4.

Weakest

• Wastewater safely treated: 42 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (Water Research Institute (WRI), Iran - Municipal Wastewater Treatment in Iran: Current Situation, Barriers and Future Policies, 2023). Below 50: grade 0/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 63 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (UN Tourism (UNWTO) via ISNA / Tehran Times, 2023). Below 80: grade 0/4.
• Travel advisory: 4 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Above 3: grade 0/4.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 38

• Nights in the three busiest months: not measured yet
• Domestic share of nights: 99.1 % of nights by residents of the same country (region figure) (Tehran Times / Isfahan Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Department, Mar–Aug 2023). At or above 45: grade 4/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: not measured yet
• Recovery against 2019: 63 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (country figure) (UN Tourism (UNWTO) via ISNA / Tehran Times, 2023). Below 80: grade 0/4. Source
• Average length of stay: 2.2 nights per visitor (region figure) (IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency) / Isfahan Directorate General of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Nowruz 2025 (March–April 2025)). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4. Source
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 40 % average annual occupancy (country figure) (Statistical Center of Iran / Hospitality Sector Report, 2024). Below 45: grade 0/4. Source

Economy and jobs: 38

• Jobs in tourism industries: not measured yet
• Unemployment rate: 9.2 % of the labour force (region figure) (Statistical Centre of Iran via Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), 1402 (March 2023–March 2024)). Between 8 and 12: grade 2/4. Source
• Income per head: 19,699 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). Between 15,000 and 30,000: grade 1/4. Source
• Economic diversity: not measured yet

Climate and hazards: 20

• Extreme heat days: 79.2 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Above 60: grade 0/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 81.6 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4. Source
• Flood hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Country disaster risk: 5.8 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 5 and 6.5: grade 1/4. Source

Water and environment: 50

• Water scarcity: medium (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 2/4. Source
• Wastewater safely treated: 42 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (Water Research Institute (WRI), Iran - Municipal Wastewater Treatment in Iran: Current Situation, Barriers and Future Policies, 2023). Below 50: grade 0/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 182.5 kg per resident per year (MDPI Sustainability / Isfahan Municipal Waste Management Organization, 2020). At or below 350: grade 4/4. Source
• Green space: not measured yet

Community and housing: 0

• Tourism intensity: not measured yet
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: 36.5 % change in rents over the last 12 months (country figure) (Statistical Center of Iran (SCI) / Khabar Online via Iran International, October 2024–October 2025). Above 15: grade 0/4. Source
• Short-let density: not measured yet
• Resident support for tourism: not measured yet

Access and continuity: 33

• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Iran Airports Company / Islamic Republic of Iran Railways, 2025–2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4. Source
• Air traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Rail share of intercity access: not measured yet
• Rail traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Largest airline group share: not measured yet
• Air route concentration: not measured yet
• Early warning and emergency plan: A national system only; no city plan found (Natural Disaster Research Institute (NDRI) / National Disaster Management Organization (NDMO), 2021–2024). Grade 1/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Tehran Times, 2026). Grade 3/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 15.6 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). Below 20: grade 0/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 4 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). Above 3: grade 0/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A promotion budget that depends each year on the general budget (Iranian Economic Review & Trend News Agency, 2025–2026). Grade 1/4. Source

Compare Isfahan

• Isfahan vs Tehran
• Isfahan vs Sanaa
• Aden vs Isfahan

The CIRA Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · CIRA Studio · Put your city in the pilot