Introduction 
The legislative and policy-making framework regulating urban tourism in the country has consistently neglected the importance of local institutions in the integrated tourism development process. This framework has predominantly adopted a state-centered and authoritarian perspective, establishing general mandates in numerous approved laws and programs without allocating the requisite financial resources to local institutions. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in the context of collaborations with government tourism agencies, which have transpired without significant involvement from local stakeholders. These constraints have notably impacted the Tehran Municipality, the nation’s capital. It holds considerable potential to capitalize on its distinctive urban tourism offerings across multiple sectors, including historical, cultural, architectural, and health tourism. In Tehran, urban affairs are managed by the Tehran Municipality alongside 23 governmental entities. Furthermore, as the capital city, Tehran often involves various ministries and governmental organizations in its urban management processes. In a centralized framework, each component of the tourism development process in Tehran is governed by a specific government organization or department. Furthermore, these governmental and public entities, including tourism institutions that operate as agents of the central government, possess distinct laws, plans, and budgets. The lack of an inter-institutional coordination mechanism significantly overlaps missions and plans within the tourism development process. Consequently, the county offices of the government serve as the sole implementers of the policies established by the government and are required to be accountable for their performance to the governing body. A confluence of legal, legislative, political, institutional, historical, and managerial factors has culminated in a scenario where municipalities, particularly those in Tehran, encounter significant structural and managerial constraints in advancing institutional infrastructure necessary for urban tourism development. The primary aim of this study is to perform an analytical review of the laws, policies, and programs that influence the institutional frameworks governing tourism development at the local level, with a particular emphasis on the Tehran Municipality. Additionally, this research intends to propose viable solutions to enhance the involvement of local institutions, specifically the municipality and city Council, in leveraging the extensive resources associated with urban tourism in Tehran.
Materials and Methods
The present study employs a qualitative research methodology, utilizing a documentary approach to investigate the legal impediments to establishing institutional arrangements for urban tourism in Tehran. This investigation is conducted by analyzing legal documents and existing evidence framed within a historical context. Accordingly, the research incorporates a documentary and legal research framework to systematically collect, categorize, and analyze relevant materials. In documentary research employing a legal research methodology, the investigator analyzes legal texts, written documents, and existing evidence through a historical lens to scrutinize the development of laws, resolutions, and other legal instruments pertinent to a specific issue. This approach aims to construct a comprehensive overview of the current context by accurately interpreting these materials, thereby elucidating the historical trajectory of legislation and clarifying its legal implications for the relevant organizations and policymakers.
Findings
The formulation of effective laws and policies to foster the development of urban tourism is essential and constitutes a primary responsibility of national governments. Such measures are crucial for promoting urban tourism, generating employment opportunities, and establishing tourism branding in regions with significant potential. However, a review of documents and legislation pertaining to urban tourism in Iran reveals significant deficiencies in the preparation and approval processes of tourism-related policies, particularly in two key areas: One is the insufficient focus on urban tourism as a component of national and regional tourism at the local level and the second is the notable neglect of the role and capabilities of local institutions, including municipalities, in the development of urban tourism. In the constrained legal and regulatory framework governing the activities of Tehran Municipality, which serves as both the capital and the principal urban management entity of Tehran, the development of urban tourism centered on local institutions encounters significant challenges. Nevertheless, by leveraging existing legal frameworks, a comprehensive set of solutions can be developed and proposed to enhance the capabilities of the capital municipality, which serves as the sole urban management authority in Tehran and is responsible for the spatial entirety of the city region in various service and infrastructure domains. Drafting bills that focus on empowering the capital’s municipality to take a leadership role in urban tourism development and requiring other urban government service organizations to comply with integrated programs designed for this purpose is essential. The other solution includes drafting bills aimed at freeing urban tourism from cumbersome government regulations in investment, advertising, and the branding of the capital’s unique attractions for developing urban tourism infrastructures. Additionally, developing and implementing a coordinating mechanism between the organizations and institutions responsible for tourism and the Tehran Municipality, centered on the City Council, will help reduce duplication of efforts and enhance coordination in executing tourism development plans. These actions can be considered strategic priorities for restoring integrated policymaking and planning in urban tourism development.
Conclusion
The primary focus of this study is the insufficient policy-making and planning capabilities of local institutions, specifically municipalities, within the urban tourism development process. This deficiency has resulted in significant weaknesses and shortcomings in legislative frameworks at the national level, thereby imposing various structural and institutional constraints on local entities as they strive to enhance their institutional arrangements in urban tourism. Municipalities, particularly the capital city municipality, lack a defined legal status in Iran concerning tourism development policies and planning. Their role is significantly weaker and more precarious in comparison to government agencies that possess broader legal authority in this domain. From the standpoint of macro and microstructural considerations pertaining to laws and regulations governing urban tourism development, obstacles and challenges can be categorized into two primary groups. The first challenge pertains to the presence of a centralized and sector-specific management system characterized by fragmented laws and regulations. In this framework, governmental oversight is extensive, resulting in an ambiguous role for local institutions, such as municipalities, within the tourism development process. The second challenge pertains to the prevalence of numerous inconsistencies and the absence of integration mechanisms among local organizations, including governmental and public institutions. This deficiency arises from the lack of coordinating legislation, resulting in a situation where local public institutions, particularly municipalities, are unable to establish the necessary institutional and structural frameworks essential for the advancement of urban tourism development.