Syria expects to increase tourism revenues to hundreds of millions of dollars following a marked revival of the country’s tourism sector in 2023, Syrian Tourism Minister Mohamed Rami Martini said.
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“The tourism sector in Syria has shown remarkable growth in 2023, visitation statistics are very promising… We expect to receive hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism revenue,” the minister said.
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Martini previously said that Syria received 2.5 million tourists in the first seven months of this year.
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According to the minister, cultural tourism is developing well; for this purpose, citizens of many countries, especially Western European ones, visit Syria. Among other countries with which tourism ties are strengthening, the minister named Russia and Iran; a stable flow of tourists also comes from neighboring Lebanon and Iraq.
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The revival of tourism will also be facilitated by the introduction of electronic visas to visit the country; this project is “in the final stage of development,” the head of the department said.
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Martini commented on Syria’s participation in the conference on tourism and green investment, which is taking place in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
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“This meeting is important… to learn from the experiences of other countries, especially given that important topics are being raised such as the role of women and youth, investment in education and training for the development of the tourism sector,” he said.
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Martini highlighted Saudi Arabia’s experience in this area. “The tourism sector in Saudi Arabia is now very well developed and is growing in all areas – cultural, entertainment, medical and others,” he said.
