The present study aims to explain the role of smart technologies in realizing a circular economy in the tourism industry of Ardabil province. Given the increasing trend of digitalization and the necessity of sustainability in tourism, this study attempts to examine the lived experience of key actors in a regional context from a phenomenological perspective. The research method is qualitative and based on Moustakas' descriptive phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in-depth and semi-structured interviews with 11 participants and analyzed using Atlas.ti 24 software. A total of 734 meaningful statements were extracted, 119 primary codes, 24 semantic units, and finally 6 main themes. The findings show that smart technologies have an impact on the realization of a circular economy in six key dimensions, including resource optimization and efficiency, ethical governance and technological regulation, infrastructure development and sustainable investment, smart management and data-driven policymaking, stakeholder participation and empowerment, and innovation and structural transformation of Ardabil tourism. These themes show that technology is not only a technical tool, but also a social and structural factor for rearranging the management, institutional, and behavioral systems of tourism. The transition from traditional tourism to circular tourism requires a combination of three components: digital infrastructure, data-driven policymaking, and active stakeholder participation, which can provide a basis for sustainable policymaking, planning, and investment in Iranian tourism.