The results of examining the feasibility of enhancement of the toluene steam dealkylation reaction by microwave irradiation of the reaction medium are presented. It has been found that the most likely cause of the positive effect of microwave radiation on the reaction rate is an increase in the preexponential factor of the Arrhenius equation for the temperature dependence of the reaction rate. This effect is presumably due to an increase in the active surface area of the catalyst formed by the microwave-assisted thermal treatment.