Syria has established a Tourism Police unit responsible for ensuring the safety and security of visitors, as the war-torn country works on developing new tourist attractions in a bid to revive the once robust sector, its Tourism Minister has said.
The unit, set up by the Ministry of Tourism in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior, will provide guidance to tourist attractions and assist tourists in travelling safely and securely to designated sites and along recognised tourism routes, Mazen Al Salhani told The National this week.
“Syria relies heavily on tourism as a key pillar of its economy. In the initial phase following liberation, we focused on domestic tourism between the governorates,” he said in an interview at the Syria Private Sector Dialogue summit in Damascus on Tuesday.
“Domestic tourism is now experiencing substantial growth”, Mr Al Salhani said. Many Syrians who had left the country during the years of conflict have been gradually returning, “rediscovering Syria and exploring it anew”.
The strategy is being boosted by the establishment of a tourism police force, he said.
Syria has pledged to beef up security measures, after the nearly 14-year civil war under former leader Bashar Al Assad battered the economy and stagnated mobility, deterring visitors and ruining the tourism industry.
But with the current leadership in Damascus, the reopening of the economy, the removal of western sanctions and an influx of foreign investment, Syria is well positioned for a “significant resurgence” in travel and tourism, Mr Al Salhani said.
Building and restoring
The revitalised mood has also driven Damascus to focus on developing new tourist attractions across the country, including the Qasioun Journey project, on the slopes of Mount Qasioun. It is expected to host open-air cultural events and an airport district that would be a “prominent” destination.
In April, Syria unveiled the $300 million, 77,000-square metre Beaumont tourism mega-project in Damascus, a “prime” destination where national and regional companies can set up their headquarters.
“We are likewise undertaking the rehabilitation and refurbishment of ageing and damaged hotels, which remains one of our key priorities … the restoration of historic tourism routes is of particular importance to us,” Mr Al Salhani said.
“Many of these sites and facilities have suffered from years of neglect. We are therefore working to restore and rehabilitate them while strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors in order to support their reconstruction and long-term operation.”
Syria is currently at a stage where it needs rebuilding and restructuring across the board, creating opportunities for investors in several sectors. Gulf states and other regional countries are moving quickly to invest in Syria’s future, launching diplomatic, financial and infrastructure support.
Also, Syria's central bank governor Safwat Raslan last month promised to work on raising living standards.
Securing investment
The country has already attracted investment in sectors such as real estate and aviation. For tourism in particular, the Syrian Investment Authority, Mr Al Salhani said, is working to streamline processes and maximise opportunities.
“The tourism sector is of particular importance, as investors are unlikely to commit to a country unless they are able to visit it, become familiar with it and witness its potential first hand,” he said.
“When people visit a country and develop an appreciation for it, they naturally become more inclined to invest in it … [a country] presenting its image to prospective investors and encouraging them to commit capital and establish projects [is] capable of delivering attractive economic and investment returns.”
Syria has several sectors that can attract the interest of the investors, “mainly in energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, reconstruction”, said Munzer Nazha, chairman of the executive committee of the Syria-Britain Business Council.
“Personally, I think that tourism is a very important sector in Syria and Syria can have an economy based on tourism,” he told The National on Wednesday at the private sector summit.
“It's enough to be a rich country because we have everything that it needs for tourism.”
