Syrian government launches campaign to promote tourism

In the middle of the civil war that has already killed nearly half a million people, the Syrian tourist board releases video to boost holidays in the country. Despite the biggest refugee crisis since the Second World War, the destroyed towns and the terror spread by the jihadist, the Syrian Ministry of Tourism has recently released of a new promotional campaign advertising the coastal town of Tartus to attract foreign tourists.

The two-minute video depicts heavenly beaches and an idyllic atmosphere unaffected by conflict, contrasting with the grim reality of terrorist attacks in the country. Moreover, the city of Taurus is located near Russia’s permanent naval base and close to war-ravaged city of Homs. Nevertheless, the video released late August attempts to lure tourists into the country and boost war-crippled economy.

Earlier this year, the ancient city of Palmyra and the Umayyad mosque in Damascus were also advertised by the Syrian government through video campaigns designed to boost the country’s foreign tourism.

According to Syria’s tourism minister, Bishr al-Yazigi, before the war emerged, foreign tourism constituted 14 per cent of the country’s GDP during 2010, accounting for $8bn a year, while in 2013, 465.000 tourists visited the country. Moreover, the country’s officials issued a statement which presents statistics for 2016, in which the government claims that the tourism industry had increased by 30 percent when compared to last year’s figures.

On the other hand, despite Syria’s efforts, Britain and the United States have warned their citizens against all travel to the area due to the "very high threat of kidnapping" and general conflict state. Moreover, the Syrian economy has dropped by more than 50 percent since 2011 and its population has also been reduced from 21 million to 17.5 million as a result of the ravaging and extremely violent civil war.