UNWTO Secretary General : Launching media campaign highlighting the return of tourism sector in Syria

Damascus – Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Taleb al-Refai, stressed that thanks to the Syrian people’s will and sacrifices, the tourist sector will recover quickly.

Al-Refai remarks came during a joint press conference with Tourism Minister, Bishr Yazigi, on Monday.

He called for launching an intensive media campaign under the title “Syria Now” which concentrates on the return of tourism sector and the reconstruction stage.

The Secretary General said that the media campaign should present a briefing on the tourist sector in Syria before and after the war and the role of youth in the reconstruction stage, SANA reported.

Three significant tourist destinations have become ready to receive tourists, including the Syrian coast, places of religious tourism and the old cities such as Damascus and Aleppo and that should be highlighted by the campaign, Al-Refai elaborated.

In turn, Tourism Minister stressed that the tourism sector in Syria will be the first pillar in supporting the Syrian economy, calling for unifying all efforts to confront and overcome all difficulties.

“We have achieved qualitative leaps in many tourist issues, particularly that is connected with attracting tourist investment”, the Minister said.

Yazigi appreciated the role of the national media and all mass media which conveyed the true image of what is going on in Syria.