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Tourism in Syria

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Although it has some of the oldest cities in Western Asia, such as Damascus and Aleppo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), tourism in Syria has been greatly reduced by the Syrian Civil War and its associated refugee crisis. Many former tourist attractions have been destroyed by shelling; flights by all major airlines have been suspended, and many major hotels have closed. It is estimated that considerable investment will be necessary to revive the country's tourism industry.[1][2][3][4][5]

Citadel of ancient Aleppo, overlooking the modern city
Old and new Aleppo

Overview

Before the 2011 crisis

In 2010, tourism had increased considerably compared with the previous year. According to the Tourism Ministry in January 2011, about 6 million foreign tourists visited Syria in 2009; for 2010 the figure was 8.5 million tourists, a 40-percent increase. Tourism revenue was given as 30.8 billion Syrian pounds ($8.4 billion) in 2010, 14 percent of the country's economy.[6] Reports in 2012 from the same Syrian ministry put 2010 tourism industry revenue at $6.5 billion, accounting for 12 percent of the gross domestic product and 11 percent of the nation's employment.[7]

After 2011

Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War in March 2011, tourism has declined steeply. According to official reports, hotel rooms designed for foreign tourists have been occupied by refugees. In the first quarter of 2012, tourism revenue was about 12.8 billion Syrian pounds ($178 million), compared with 52 billion Syrian pounds ($1 billion) in the first quarter of 2011, and the number of foreign tourists decreased by more than 76 percent in the 2012 quarter. Employment in the tourism industry was down by "nearly two-thirds" in that period.[7] According to UNESCO, five of Syria's six World Heritage Sites have been affected by the civil war.[7][8] In 2012, Syria sent a letter to the United Nations describing the decline of its tourism industry, noting that the country's hotel-occupancy rate had fallen from 90 percent the previous year to 15 percent.[9]

As of 2013, overall Syrian tourism revenue had declined by 94 percent, with Aleppo the worst affected, and the Tourism Minister stated, at the end of September 2013, that 289 tourist destinations had been damaged by conflict since 2011.[10]

By 2015, the movement of tourists had declined by more than 98%. The Syrian Ministry of Tourism claimed that 45,000 tourists visited the country in the first half of 2015, but these figures were disputed by observers, according to the Syrian Economic Forum, which stated that Iranian religious tourism was all that remained.[11] According to a 2015 article in The Telegraph, hotels by beaches in the Mediterranean coast in Tartus and Latakia still received internal tourists and one hotel was "full" in the summer of 2014 and 2015.[12]

Promotion

Promotion of tourism in Syria is handled by the Syrian Ministry of Tourism. Syra's Tourism ministry maintains an active Facebook page[13] as will as an official Syria Tourism website.[14] In September 2016, Syria's Ministry of Tourism drew criticism from some quarters for releasing a video, "Syria Always Beatiful [sic]," encouraging tourists to visit its beaches. The video spotlighted regions such as Tartus, which remain somewhat peaceful, though Tartus saw an attack resulting in the deaths of over 150 in May 2016.[15]

Attractions

UNESCO sites

See also: List of heritage sites damaged during the Syrian Civil War

The Ancient City of Aleppo, the old cities of Bosra and Damascus, the Dead Cities of northern Syria, Krak des Chevaliers and Qal’at Salah El-Din and ancient Palmyra are the six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country. Twelve other sites submitted to UNESCO are on the organisation's tentative list: Noréas de Hama, Ugrarit (Tell Shamra), Ebla (Tell Mardikh), Mari (Tell Hariri), Dura-Europos, Apamée (Afamia), Qasr al-Hayr ach-Charqi, Maaloula, Tartus, L'île d'Arwad and two sites in the Euphrates valley.[16]

War tourism

See also: War tourism and Dark tourism

The Syrian conflict is reportedly attracting adventure-seekers.[17] According to retired Israel Defense Forces colonel Kobi Marom, who leads tours of the war zone across the Israeli border, tourists are interested in seeing the conflict and go "crazy" when they learn that they are probably being observed by Al-Qaeda militants.[3][18]

References

  1. ^ Syria. "Syria three years on: what for the future of tourism?". Telegraph. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Travel and Tourism in Syria". Euromonitor.com. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  3. ^ a b Hall, John (7 October 2014). "Tourists pose in front of Syrian town under siege by ISIS during US airstrikes | Daily Mail Online". Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Syria: flights to Damascus cancelled | euronews, world news". Euronews.com. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  5. ^ "Turkish Airlines suspended all flights over Syria". Nationalturk.com. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  6. ^ "Syria sees tourist numbers leap 40% | The National". Thenational.ae. 25 January 2011. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "Conflict decimates Syria tourism: official report". Al Arabia News. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Syrian Tourism Industry: From Boom to Bust – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East". Al-Monitor. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  9. ^ Reuters Editorial (17 May 2012). "Syria complains to U.N. about tourism downturn amid conflict". Reuters. Retrieved 15 November 2015. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  10. ^ "Minister: Syria war costs tourism industry $1.5 billion". Al Arabia News. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Tehran extends a lifeline to Damascus through religious tourism". Syrian Economic Forum. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  12. ^ "It's 'happy holidays in Syria' according to the Assad regime". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  13. ^ Syria Tourism on Facebook
  14. ^ Syria Ministry of Tourism official website
  15. ^ Domonoske, Camila (September 5, 2016). "Syria Tourism Ministry: Come For Sunny Beaches, Don't Mind The Civil War". NPR. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  16. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. "Syrian Arab Republic – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". Whc.unesco.org. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  17. ^ Ben Taub. "War Tourists Flock to Syria's Front Lines". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  18. ^ "The Rise of Dark Tourism". The Atlantic. 15 July 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
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