Major Obstacles to Tourism Policy from the Perspective of Experts

The main aim of this paper is to analyze the major obstacles to the development of tourism industry in the post-revolutionary era. The paper tries to discover the causes of the constraints imposed on tourism industry despite its potentials in Iran. The main hypothesis of the paper is that some important factors other than physical obstacles impede the development of tourism. The theoretical framework of the paper is based on three cultural theories. The methodology of the paper is based on the qualitative methods in the form of semi-structure interviews with leading people in tourism industry, cultural elites and tourism activists who might influence tourism decision making in one way or another. The description and analysis of narratives indicate that the interviewees considered cultural obstacles as important as physical ones in the development of tourism industries. The paper suggests that tourism policy may reach its objectives if it draws on a consensual policy among elites and tourism activists.