Tourism in Syria sees major increase

Tourism Ministry announced that tourists number in Syria have reached 1.41 million during the first half of this year in comparison with 1.18 million of the same period last year. This to increase tourists number by about 20% in comparison with last year.

"Tourism increase in the country is due to tourism marketing variation as well as searching for substitute markets in addition to tourists' continuous trust in Syrian products," Minister of Tourism Sa'ed Agha al-Qala'a said in an interview with al-Thawra paper Friday.

He clarified that the number of Arab tourists jumped by about 15% during the first six months of 2005 to become 1.02 million while it was 890 thousands last year.

"As for tourists coming from Europe and USA, they rose by about 4% to become 146 thousands while they were about 141 thousands at the same period last year," the minister added.

Agha al-Qala'a pointed out that group tourism implemented by tourism and travel offices regained activities to increase about 55% more than they were last year.

Syria's incomes of tourism is about $ 500 million which represents 2.6 % of Syria's gross domestic production. Economic experts said that "the tourists' number increasing in Syria indicates that new tourist sections replaced summer tourism markets of Europe and USA by Arab states like Syria.