Syria has recently witnessed a boom in tourism despite the limited number of airlines operating daily flights to Damascus International Airport. In addition, the capital’s religious and recreational centres and institutions are welcoming more visitors and tourists who arrive directly through this airport or via Beirut International Airport.
I had the chance to visit Syria twice this year.
The first time was as part of the Omani trade delegation of Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry which took part in the inauguration of the 61st Damascus International Fair 2019. The second visit was for tourism with my family, during which we visited some beautiful summer resorts and religious, historical and tourist spots together with traditional souqs.
During the visit of the Omani trade delegation, we had the chance to meet with Mohamed Rami Radwan Martini, Syrian Minister of Tourism, who lauded the deep-rooted political, economic and tourist relations between Syria and Oman. He indicated that communications with the Omani government had never ceased, whether during or after the war.
He attributed this to the rational policy of the Sultanate and its standpoint and attempts to bridge the views during this crisis. Damascus, represented by President Bashar al Assad all the way down to the lowliest Syrian official, has expressed special appreciation to the Sultanate and His Majesty Sultan Qaboos.
Syria has highlighted various issues of tourism interest to both countries, with the Syrian minister describing the current tourism season in Syria as “exceptional”.
Meanwhile, as the tourism sector revives, it creates employment for Syrians of all ages. In terms of tourist relations, Syria has signed an agreement with the Sultanate in 2002, which is the first of its kind in the field of tourism.
The Syrian minister noted that Syrian, like Omanis, have etched their name in history by travelling the ends of the Earth, leaving their historic footprints across all continents.
Syria has developed a new investment plan for itself, the minister noted. He explained that the Syrian government has a plan to invest in tourism by earmarking tourist ventures for Arabs and foreign investment while allocating 30 others for the Syrian private sector.
This will attract Arab and foreign investors to venture into some tourism projects, especially those that the Syrians have not been able to complete due to the war that ravaged the country over the past few years.
Meanwhile, the Syrian government is in the process of updating the relevant laws and legislations to issue a new investment law.
In addition, Syria welcomes further cooperation with Oman in the field of aviation and tourism, the operation of the Omani tourist companies and in hospitality and the training sector.
It has managed over the past years to train and qualify scores of Syrian youth in the tourism sector and in many disciplines, and introduced several foreign languages to the hospitality and tourism sector in general, besides capitalising on mountain and beach tourism, for which Oman is famous.
With regard to tourism information, the Syrian Ministry of Tourism requires media professionals to be accurate about the number of Arab and foreign visitors arriving in Syria through official statistics.
Current statistics indicate, for example, that the number of Omanis who visited Syria in 2018 reached 583 compared to 4,574 in 2010, falling to 788 visitors in 2011 when the war started.
Meanwhile, Cham Wings Airlines is operating three direct flights a week between Damascus and Muscat in certain periods of the year. Syrians hope that this and other airlines will open the way for Omani and GCC tourists to reach Syria. They also hope for more airspace to be open between the two countries.
There is a request by some visitors in Asian countries to reach Damascus, especially for pilgrimages. Oman Air can operate flights from these countries to Muscat International Airport, then onward to Damascus via Cham Wings Airlines.
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