108 tourist facilities in the province .. Promotion of tourist areas to revive domestic and popular tourism

Homs, (ST)-“Tourism sector in the governorate is witnessing a gradual improvement thanks to the return of security and safety. Despite the difficult conditions and the high costs of reconstruction, a good recovery in this sector is recorded at the beginning of each season”. Declared Eng. Ahmed Akash, Homs Tourism Director stressing that the number of tourist establishments operating in the governorate reaches 108, ranging from two to five star levels, of which 45 are in the governorate’s countryside.

Eng. Akkash explained that the Directorate is working to promote tourism in all the areas that have been liberated from terrorism , to encourage investment in these areas and to urge investors to rehabilitate their damaged facilities, stressing that any delay in payment for any hindered project is studied individually and all the concerned parties cooperate to solve the problem.

Concerning the directorate’s various cultural and tourist activities, eng. Akkash explained : “The Directorate has organized several festivals during the current year, including the Syrian Heritage Exhibition Festival which was held  in Caesarea market in April, The first Cultural Tourism Festival in Homs,  an exhibition of Calligraphy and Painting on Wood in  Al-Zahrawi Palace,  The Castle and Valley Festival,  Rablah Festival, and the  World Tourism Day celebration”, Akkash added, highlighting  the efforts exerted by the Directorate in cooperation with the concerned authorities such as the City Council and the Directorate of Agriculture to revitalize popular tourism in the province in various areas, according to available possibilities, such as the 8 March Forest, adjacent to the castle  in addition to the  several sites in the western countryside and Al-Qusair villages.  

He pointed out that the Directorate continues to promote the tourist areas of the province in order to revive domestic and popular tourism in addition to adopting a cultural program  including   organizing visits to archaeological and religious places in each region to learn about the cultural and civilization heritage of Homs, which includes more than five thousand sites registered in the Directorate of Antiquities.

Akkash made it clear that in order to avoid the severe shortage in the number of tourist guides, the directorate held a 45-day course  followed by 42 participants during which they toured the archaeological and historical sites in the governorate.

“We do our best to support tourism by all possible means as it is considered one of the national  pillars of economy and plays an active role in revitalizing  the economic sector, achieving additional marketing on the locally produced goods, as well as providing renewed employment opportunities,” eng. Akkash concluded.

Amal Farhat – Homs