5 cities in Iran that have been able to attract health tourism in Iran from different countries in recent years

What are the leading cities of health tourism in Iran? Tabriz, Ilam, Sanandaj, Ardabil, Tehran and Shiraz, etc., each of them can be considered as the leading cities of health tourism in Iran, which have succeeded in attracting medical tourists from nearby countries.

Health tourism has been able to reach different cities and parts of the country since its boom in Iran.
The reason for the boom of health tourism in different cities of Iran is that some cities of this country have traditionally hosted medical tourists from neighboring countries.
Some other cities have been able to provide good health services due to the attraction of public tourists in recent years.

In any case, the leading cities of Iran’s health tourism have been able to separate themselves from some other cities and create their own special brand of treatment.

In this article, we want to discuss the 5 important health tourism cities of Iran and the reasons for the boom in medical tourism in them.

For more information on this topic, please check Pars Med Travel

• The medical tourism capital of Iran; Mashhad is one of the leading cities in health tourism in Iran

The industry, which has become a source of income for many companies and businesses these days as health tourism, owes a large part of its greatness and prosperity to the city of Mashhad.

Mashhad was one of the first cities in Iran that defined medical tourism in the form of an inclusive industry and various services for medical tourists.

The most important reason for the growth of health tourism in Mashhad and the inclusion of this northeastern city in the list of the leading cities of health tourism in Iran should be found in two variables: one is the holy shrine of Imam Reza and the other is Iraqi tourists. Two variables that are very closely related.

After the fall of Saddam Hussein’s government in Iraq in 2001 and the beginning of a new chapter in Iran’s relations with its western neighbor,
one of the most important customers of various markets in Mashhad has been Iraqi tourists.
In other words, with the boom of Iraqi travel to Iran from the end of the first decade of the 21st century, i.e. 2008 onwards, one of the first cities that Iraqi Shia citizens chose for their trip was the holy city of Mashhad.

Pilgrimage motives of these Iraqi travelers initially defined their trips as spiritual trips with religious motives. But with the increasing number of Iraqi families traveling to Mashhad, they realized that many illnesses and physical ailments can be treated at a low cost during the days they stay in this city for pilgrimage.

Little by little, the reputation of medical services of hospitals, clinics and doctors in Mashhad spread among Iraqi pilgrims, and now Mashhad is one of the most important medical destinations for Iraqi citizens.

Cosmetic surgeries, hair transplants and general surgeries are the most important health services that Iraqi travelers look for in the streets of this city, including the famous Ahmedabad Street of Mashhad, which is the center of medical services in this city, besides the pilgrimage to Imam Reza.

• Tehran: Private hospitals compete hard to attract medical tourists

Tehran has the most medical facilities and the largest number of hospitals, clinics and doctors. Therefore,
it is not far from the mind that this city is one of the most important health tourism cities in Iran.

For a long time, health tourists from different countries,
including countries such as Kuwait, the UAE, Russia,
and other European countries, have been visiting Tehran for treatment.

The presence of a large number of private hospitals in which the most specialized and
complex medical surgeries are performed has made their competition to generate foreign exchange income to form a significant market of health tourism.

Prominent eye clinics, orthopedics, infertility treatment clinics, beauty and organ transplant centers, etc. have the most demand among health tourists from other countries who travel to Tehran.

• Shiraz: Medical tourism treatment center

Shiraz is a four-season city with a mild climate and hospitable people.
This southern city of Iran has long been a favorite destination for many citizens of Persian Gulf countries,
including the UAE, Kuwait and Oman.

The migration of some citizens of the southern cities of Fars province, such as Lar and Lamard, to Arab countries in the past years has caused a lot of traffic between these countries and Fars province.

These reasons have led to the boom of health tourism in Shiraz for a long time. If you pass by Ferdowsi Street in the center of Shiraz, you will surely meet Omanis or Emiratis who have traveled to Shiraz for treatment.

Ophthalmology, cardiovascular surgery and dentistry are the most important competitive advantages of Shiraz in the health tourism industry.

• Ahvaz; The first destination of Iraqi medical tourism

The city of Ahvaz, which is not far from the Iraqi border,
has been hosting Iraqis who were looking for qualified Iranian doctors for treatment since the borders of Iran
and Iraq were opened to each other’s citizens.

Ahvaz has been one of the first choices of Iraqis for a medical trip to Iran due to its linguistic
, cultural affinity with Iraqi citizens
, the long-standing family relationship between some citizens of this city and citizens of cities such as Basra, Karbala, and Najaf.
For this reason, it has been included in the list of leading health tourism cities in Iran.

Most Iraqis prefer to travel to Ahvaz by land for general treatment, diagnostic services
and treatments such as dentistry and ophthalmology and seek help from Iranian doctors.

Most of Ahwazi doctors know the Iraqi language and are relatively familiar with Iraqi culture and lifestyle, and these things are a great advantage for Iraqis.

The presence of health tourism companies
and activists who are active around the Iran-Iraq border to attract Iraqi tourists has been another reason for the health tourism boom in Ahvaz in recent years.

.Orumieh; The first destination for citizens of the Kurdistan Region

It may be strange how Urmia has become one of the leading cities of health tourism in Iran. Urmia is the capital of West Azarbaijan province and the closest big city of Iran to the center of Kurdistan region of Iraq, namely Erbil. Most Iraqi Kurds who live in the north of the Kurdistan region, including the center of this region, prefer to travel several hours by land to Piranshahr and from there to Urmia to receive high-quality medical services.

The lack of medical facilities and, more importantly, the lack of experienced doctors in the oil city of Erbil, which has gained wealth and prosperity in recent years, has made the citizens of this big city consider Iran and Turkey for medical services. The not-so-good relations between the Kurds and Turkey have made most of them consider Iran as their first medical destination.

The Kurds of the Kurdistan Region choose Urmia more than other cities in Iran for various medical services such as ophthalmology and dentistry and some skin care.

Of course, if they need more advanced or complex medical services,

Iraqi Kurds prefer to go to Tehran and use the services of specialized clinics and hospitals.