The Tourism Sociology Department was founded in 1390. This department has focused on performing research and applicable surveys related to the social and cultural aspects of tourism, such as tourists' satisfaction, tourist –host relationship, tourists' feeling of security in their destination, tourists' attitude towards the host community, the host community's capacity of social tolerance and their attitude towards tourism. In addition to numerous projects and research articles on religious pilgrimage and social and cultural issues of visiting the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (peace be upon him), this department has also handled the "national survey of values, attitudes, and tourism behavioral study of Iran". This department, called "sociology department", has performed research in various social issues of the city and country since 1371, such as Mashhad Pilgrimage and Tourism.

The national survey of values, attitudes and behavioral study of tourism in Iran (the network plan):

To produce exact data on tourism in Iran, the Sociology department of tourism was commissioned by the central office of ACECR to codify a major network plan for Iranians' tourism attitudes and behaviors. This national survey is currently being implemented, and is financially supported by the National administration and Planning organization. This project investigates the attitudes and behaviors of Iranians towards tourism, and also that of foreign tourist, who have visited Iran.