Syria Launches Efforts to Rebuild Decimated Tourism Industry
By Nathalie Stein
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
AFTER SIX YEARS OF A RAVAGING CIVIL WAR, Syria, led by its Ministry of Tourism, invites the Western world to once again visit.
Among the casualties of war, revenues for the tourism industry fell from $8.3 billion dollars in 2010 to a comparatively tiny $178 million dollars in 2012, a drop of more than seventy five percent that devastated the Syrian economy. Al-Assad’s regime has seen the destruction of all six of Syria’s UNESCO world heritage sites, along with countless other spots that tourists once flocked to. Today, Syria sees only a fraction of the revenues it once did- and that its neighbors continue to enjoy.
Under Minister of Tourism Bishr Yazigi, Syria is attempting to resuscitate its tourism industry as the first step towards national stability. Appearing at an international tourism fair in Madrid in mid-January — Syria’s first appearance at the event since 2011 — he announced plans to bring visitors back to Syria. In a statement to Agence French-Presse, Director of Marketing at the Syrian Ministry of Tourism, Bassam Barsik, stated that “This year is the time to rebuild Syria and our economy.” Yazigi also argued for a focus on parts of Syria less touched by violence; he noted the historical Christian village of Maaloula, the world’s only remaining place where Aramaic is widely spoken, and the ruins of the Roman city of Palmyra, twice controlled by ISIS, as examples.
Revitalizing the ISIS-destroyed Aleppo, formerly the largest, most popular tourism destination in Syria, is one of the top priorities. On January 11, Yazigi expressed a desire to seek Russian assistance in rebuilding infrastructure, signaling a re-Russianization of Syria. Emblematic of the greater efforts is the struggle to rebuild the Sheraton hotel, located in Aleppo’s old district. Rated five stars and serving luxury worthy of the world’s finest metropolises, it was a sign of Aleppo’s rapid development when it first opened in 2007; when the hotel closed its doors in 2012, the Sheraton equally symbolized the nation’s descent into chaos. Yazigi hopes that bringing the hotel back to life, along with other key luxury properties, will spur development in the rest of the city.
“Revitalizing the ISIS-destroyed Aleppo, formerly the largest, most popular tourism destination in Syria, is one of the top priorities.”
These efforts are not the beginning of the movement to bring tourists back to the country. The Ministry of Tourism’s first move was to promote an area of Syria ostensibly untouched by the violence: its beaches. In August of 2016, the Ministry of Tourism released a video promoting the coastal beauty Syria maintains, entitled “Syria Always Beautiful”. Displaying the clear blue oceans of Tartus, hundreds of happy beachgoers and some of Syria’s most valuable (and intact) historical sites, it bears no hint of the desperate violence taking place miles away. For this reason, the video received substantial international criticism; many sources labeled the video misleading and insensitive.
“Syria Always Beautiful” marked the beginning of the Ministry’s aggressive social media campaign aimed at rebuilding what was once a major economic sector. They continue to upload videos to YouTube and Facebook, some of which display the damage to Syria left by the war and others which, like the original, simply pan over sparkling water.
Still, these videos have done little to convince potential visitors of the country’s safety. Visas are required, but difficult to acquire; the Syrian embassy in Washington, D.C, for example, is currently suspended, meaning that American citizens need to attain a visa through the Syrian diplomatic mission of Canada. Additionally, the U.S state department currently warns American citizens against visiting Syria. Because the U.S ceased diplomatic relations with Syria in 2014, the only protection available to citizens is that offered by the Czech Republic. There are currently just thirty four embassies in Syria; an additional thirty three have either ceased operation or moved to Beirut. If the Syrian wishes to rebuild its tourism industry, it will need to come as part of a broader movement towards re-integration with the rest of the world.
The plan to rebuild Syria’s tourism industry comes as part of a broader trend of rebuilding Syrian society. As the war seems to be entering its final act, the international community should focus on restoring what preceded the destruction and violence that is now essentially synonymous with Syria itself.
