Syria – Emerging attractive tourist destination

Syria became one of the best tourism destination, receiving about 4.5 million Arab and foreign tourists in 2008, said an official report.
The report, issued by the Syrian Tourism Ministry, said that tourism in Syria grew 15% compared to 2007, adding that the contribution of tourism to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased to 11.2 percent. 

According to a report by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, of the Arab tourists, Saudis accounted for 41 percent, Kuwaitis and Bahrainis each for 18 percent. Moreover, the Lebanese visiting Syria the past month accounted for 28 percent, with the UAE at only three percent, and Moroccans at 34 percent.

In addition, the report said the number of European tourists increased 22% compared to 2008.

The report attributed this number to intensive tourism campaigns held in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Turkey, and Russia.

During the first five months of the year, the number of Arab and foreign tourists as well as Syrian immigrants (tourists) have reached more than 1.9 million in comparison to last year’s 1.7 million at an increase of around 10 percent.

Yet the Arabs have reached 1.135 million tourists, which is an 11% rise in comparison to the year of 2008.

During the same period of the first five months of the year of 2009, the European tourists reached more than 118,000, as in 2008 they were less by 25 percent.

Damascus has identified tourism as a sector with strong growth potential – one that in years to come could replace falling earnings from its dwindling oil industry and provide employment for the expanding workforce. 

At least some of this increased interest in Syria is due to the somewhat altered perception of the country over the past year. The warm welcome to Syria at the Mediterranean summit held in Paris in July as well as Damascus’ apparent willingness to engage Israel in peace negotiations and establish diplomatic ties with neighbouring Lebanon have all served to improve the country’s image.

That image helped to attract 5.9m visitors in 2008 and generate earnings of $3.5bn, according to Tourism Ministry figures released in mid-January. Of these tourists, 3.3m were from Arab countries, 1.1m of other nationality while the remainder constituted expatriate Syrians returning home for a visit. 

Another possible reason for the growing number of tourists is the state’s increased emphasis on advertising. The government boosted the Tourism Ministry’s budget for promotional activities last year to $8m, well up on the $5.5m it outlaid in 2007 and more than five times the $1.5m spent in 2006, according to the local press. 

In an interview with the Reuters news agency on February 4, Abdullah Al Dardari, Syria’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, said one of the main focus points for the economy was tourism, with the objective being to add 40,000 hotel beds to the existing stock to accommodate an anticipated 8m visitors annually by 2015. 

Syria’s tourism industry also has to contend with strong competition in the region, with a more stable Lebanon now drawing increasing numbers of visitors, Egypt always a perennial attraction and Jordan also popular. All boast the similar draw cards of sun, sea, sand and a rich historical heritage, and all are seeking to lift visitor numbers and boost overseas investment.