Today, smart tourism is growing and developing as a new type of tourism industry. Due to the growth of new technologies, countries can not act on tourism development without considering their impact and at the same time guarantee its sustainability. However, there are problems and challenges in this regard. Aras Free Zone as an example of this study is no exception and the main purpose of this study is to identify the challenges of smart tourism development in this area. In this regard, the research method of the present article is exploratory in nature and practical in purpose. The required information has been collected through library and field studies (questionnaire). The statistical population of the study was the experts in the field of tourism in Aras Free Zone. Using snowball method, 10 people were interviewed as a statistical sample of the research. Also, for the validity of extractive indicators, content analysis (CVR) method and for identifying the most important challenges of smart tourism, structural-interpretive modeling (ISM) and Mick Mac analysis have been used. In this regard, the research findings have shown that out of 20 challenges extracted from theoretical foundations, 14 challenges have acceptable validity. The challenges of manpower, organizational-management, information and communication technology, financial resources and infrastructure are considered as key challenges in the development of smart tourism in the Aras Free Zone, which have a great impact on the development of smart tourism.