The 8th Tourist Investment Market Forum kicked off

On December 16th, 2015, the Ministry of Tourism opened the 8th Tourist Investment Market Forum under the motto “A Pioneering Investment for a Promising Future”.

 Dozens of governmental officials, businessmen and tourist investors participated in the Forum, which presents 47 investment projects in the provinces of Damascus, Damascus Rural, Queneitra, Sweida, Homs, Hama, Lattakia and Tartous.

Minister of Tourism Bishr Yazaji said in a speech at the opening ceremony:

“ We are meeting in this occasion and we are watching our heralds of victory under the leadership of President Bashar Al-Assad and scarifices of our Army with support of our people.”

Mr. Yazaji said that the forum is to create a promising atmosphere for the investors to help them invest their capitals in the tourist sector.

The Minister said that 87 tourist facilities were established during 2015 with an estimated cost 4.5 billion SYP. Other 213 tourist facilities were rehabilitated with 9 billion SYP cost. In this year, 17 tourist facilities were licensed with 1.2 billion SYP capitals.

Mr. Ghiath Farah, the Director of Tourist Project at the Ministry of Tourism said to the Syria Times:

“ The Ministry of Tourism laid down a strategy plan to improve the tourist sector and attract the capitals to Syria to create new job opportunities for the Syrian youth. Today the Ministry presents 47 tourist facilities with 180 billion SYP capitals including small, medium and big projects. The Ministry hopes to get investors from our friendly states and Syrian expatriate. The Ministry focuses on the religious and Coastal tourist which attract the biggest number of tourists during the past years of crisis.”

Ghalib Salih, a Syrian investor, said to the Syria Times :

“ In this crisis, the most affected sector is the tourism sector specially in the Syrian northern and eastern areas. I can say all tourist facilities are damaged by the crisis. We hope to exchange views and opinions in this forum to improve the tourist sector in Syria.”

Reported by Obaida Al-Mohammad