Sustainable economic growth and development have increasingly become a central concern for economic policymakers and researchers at both national and global levels in recent years. In this context, the blue economy has emerged as a novel and strategic framework, playing a pivotal role in enhancing economic and environmental indicators.

This study investigates the impact of selected components of the blue economy on sustainable economic growth, with a particular focus on coastal and marine tourism, during the period 1993 to 2023, using the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. The key components examined include fisheries and aquaculture production, agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and coastal and marine tourism. Additionally, inflation rate and capital are included as control variables in the analysis. The results indicate that, in both the short and long run, fisheries and aquaculture production, coastal and marine tourism, and capital exert the most significant and positive effects on sustainable economic growth. Furthermore, inflation rate and the broader agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector also contribute meaningfully to stimulating sustainable economic growth. Overall, the findings underscore the importance of strategic planning in harnessing the potential of the blue economy—particularly in the fisheries and aquaculture sector. Such planning can drive economic growth in Iran through mechanisms such as attracting effective investments, enhancing productivity, and promoting the sustainable management of aquatic resources. Moreover, policymakers should place greater emphasis on developing infrastructure related to the blue economy to fully capitalize on its potential for boosting gross domestic product (GDP).