Syria for boosting eco-tourism
Public and private sectors in Syria are exerting efforts to build and support environment tourism and one tourism official says there are 15 natural reserves in Syria to fulfill this target.
Syria is famous for its geographical variation of sea, mountain, desert, steppe and valley and four seasons well distinguished with nice weather most of the year the matter that makes her a breeding ground for such kind of tourism, an official at the ministry of tourism said.
" There are more than 15 various natural reserves all over Syria the ministry is seeking to invest them through the bringing of tourists into," Chairman of Environment Tourism Directorate Abdul Hamid al-Masri said.
He noted the government is working to build the needed infrastructure for theses reserves by encouraging and backing as well marketing the folkloric production and handicrafts.
" We are working to regulate entrance into the reserves and not allowing cars or vehicles access, in addition to train tourist guides in this respect with the issuing of directory on these places and giving the green brand to tourist projects keeping environment," al-Masri said.
He warned against the lack of environmental awareness to local societies and stressed the need to upgrade the level of alertness to them.
During the last two years, some civil societies taking care of environment appeared in Syria. They are concerned with environment protection and wild life and are supported by circles seeking to make use of environmental tourism.
A manager in the tourist private sector, Hussam al-Nouri, said Trastour group, that plays a role in tourism sector in Syria, has put some programs to market nature as a tourism product and to make it available to the international tourism markets as well to "present Syria as a product of environment tourism." He expected the existence of the like projects this year on the ground in the framework of sharing formula among Syrian civil societies and international parties taking care of nature and wild life.