Damascus-Sana
The Ministry of Tourism seeks to advance the tourism sector despite the difficulties facing its work as a result of the terrorist war that was launched against Syria and targeted various sectors.
The Ministry is working on accomplishing a number of projects aimed at encouraging popular, domestic and religious tourism and implementing distinct seasonal programs in various governorates by setting an investment map, establishing public parks and rehabilitating tourist facilities in addition to reviving old heritage places.
Tourism Planning Director at the Ministry, Rali Asaad, explained to SANA delegate that investment opportunities will soon be offered in the Ras Al-Basit area of Lattakia countryside, where licenses have been submitted and the committees are currently disposing of offers.
She pointed to the ministry’s interest in historical houses where old houses such as “Abu al-Shamat, Abdel Qader al-Jaza’iri, al-Atassi and al-Quwatli” are studied and documented with the aim of offering a portion of them for investment in accordance with the royal authorities and determining their paths of visits in the event that tourist delegations visit to Syria, confirming the existence of a study to restore the house of Abu Khalil al-Qabbani Raed Arab theater and its revival.
Asaad indicated that the Ministry is working to digitize the tourist map of the Syrian coast after completing its preparation to be a database for the investor and other concerned parties, as well as preparing the map of Homs and Aleppo and setting up a database for all governorates so that the map is comprehensive and includes tourist attractions, tourist hubs and places of future investments that constitute investment opportunities Where the investor can view the opportunities and places where the facilities are placed so that he can study the economic feasibility of his facilities.
Asaad explained that the ministry currently has two contracts with the General Company for Engineering Studies, the first related to the planning study for the Qandil Valley in Latakia, to convert it into investment opportunities and put it for tourism investment, as the study will be ready at the end of 2020 and the second is a topographical study for the Saliba Turkmen region of Lattakia.
Asaad pointed to the existing cooperation with the University of Damascus, where university students implement graduation projects around the areas that the ministry wants to study, and that there is an agreement to cooperate with the Ministry of Culture on the tourist paths of the castles of “Damascus and Aleppo, Salah al-Din and Al-Hisn” where last year contracts were contracted on the Damascus and Salahuddin castles to qualify them Receiving tourists, as the conditions book for Al-Hosn Castle is currently being prepared, and Aleppo Citadel will be included in the 2020 plan.
Asaad indicated that the Supreme Investment Council agreed at the end of last year to establish the Kiwan Garden in coordination with the Damascus Governorate and the planning study for the park was completed, indicating that a meeting with the Ministry of Water Resources is also being prepared to take advantage of the surrounding lakes and rivers to put them in investment next season to encourage popular tourism.
Asaad pointed out that there is a project to take care of religious tourism by working on the topic of spiritual paths to encourage this tourism, stressing that the aim of these projects is to serve the tourist and advance the tourism sector.
Sakina Muhammad
