Morteza Izadi - Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Seyed Hasan Saadat - Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Ali Ayoubian - Hospital Management Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Zahra Hashemi Dehaghi - Eye Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mohammad Reza Karbasi - Director General Islamic Chamber ICCIMA, Tehran, Iran
Ali Reza Jalali - Trauma Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Medical tourism plays an important role in national revenue of many countries; This industry earns about ۱۰۰ billion dollars for the governments each year. However, Tourism is not developed in Iran and it is in its initial paces. As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Health recognized tourism-therapy in ۲۰۰۳. In addition, by doing this, rather than supporting tourism-therapy, the ministry mainly tried to create new jobs for the graduates of medical sciences. However, tourism-therapy was introduced as an independent industry in ۲۰۰۴ by the merger The Cultural Heritage Organization to The Iran and World Tourism. According to the planning, the Iranian government has devised plans to cover ۳۰% of medical and health needs of the country, by the end of ۴th national development program, through exporting medical products and services. Therefore, determining the obstacles in the way of optimum development of tourism-therapy industry is of great help to the country.

Health tourism, Medical tourism, Iran