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Syria makes bid to revive hospitality industry with new Tourist Police Unit

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Syria has launched a new Tourism Police Unit to enhance security for visitors and guide them to designated attractions and routes.
  • This initiative is part of a broader plan to revitalize the country's hospitality industry, with investments in infrastructure and public-private partnerships.
  • The government aims to attract both domestic and international tourists by restoring historic sites and rehabilitating hotels.

Syria is making a concerted effort to revive its hospitality industry with the establishment of a new Tourism Police Unit. This specialized unit will provide guidance to tourist attractions and ensure the safety of visitors traveling to designated sites and along established tourism routes, according to Syrian Tourism Minister Mazen Al Salhani.

Syria relies heavily on tourism as a key pillar of its economy. In the initial phase following liberation, we focused on domestic tourism between the governorates.

— Mazen Al SalhaniSyrian Tourism Minister Mazen Al Salhani explaining the importance of tourism and initial recovery efforts.

Speaking at the Syria Private Sector Dialogue summit in Damascus, Salhani emphasized tourism's crucial role as an economic pillar. He noted that initial efforts focused on bolstering domestic tourism between governorates, which has seen significant growth, with many Syrians who fled the country under the Assad regime now returning for visits.

Damascus has significantly invested in attracting new visitors. In April, the Tourism Ministry announced a $300 million plan to construct the Beaumont business center, aiming to draw regional companies to establish their headquarters in the capital. The ministry is also prioritizing the restoration and refurbishment of aging and damaged hotels, alongside the rehabilitation of historic tourism routes.

We are likewise undertaking the rehabilitation and refurbishment of aging and damaged hotels, which remains one of our key priorities... the restoration of historic tourism routes is of particular importance to us.

— Mazen Al SalhaniSyrian Tourism Minister Mazen Al Salhani detailing the restoration efforts for hotels and historic routes.

Salhani acknowledged that many of these sites and facilities have suffered from years of neglect. The government is actively working to restore them while strengthening public-private partnerships to support their reconstruction and ensure long-term operation. This multi-pronged approach signals Syria's commitment to rebuilding its tourism sector and attracting a wider range of visitors.

Many of these sites and facilities have suffered from years of neglect. We are therefore working to restore and rehabilitate them while strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors in order to support their reconstruction and long-term operation.

— Mazen Al SalhaniSyrian Tourism Minister Mazen Al Salhani describing the challenges and strategies for restoring tourism infrastructure.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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