DAMASCUS // Tourism increased greatly in Syria last year, and the country welcomed 40 per cent more foreign visitors in 2010 compared with 2009, far exceeding official expectations, according to a recently published government review.
The tourism minister, Saadullah Agha al Qalaa, described the growth, up from some 6 million tourists in 2009 to 8.5 million last year, as "extraordinary". In terms of dollars, the sector was worth US$8.4 billion (Dh30.8bn) in 2010, a welcome boost for a country that remains under a US trade embargo.
"It was a very good 2010," Mr al Qalaa said on Sunday, announcing the figures. "It's a great result, and we cannot expect to continue at this rate of growth."
He credited "successful" Syrian foreign policy with playing a key role in the increased figures, saying it had "enhanced the international position of Syria" and made the country more attractive to visitors.
Between 2005 and 2008 Syria faced a diplomatic freeze from the West, led by Washington, which classified (and still considers) the country a state sponsor of terrorism because of its backing of Hizbollah and Hamas.
However, Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, began a process of re-engagement with Syria in 2008 that has since been followed by other European states and, more cautiously, the US. Last week Richard Ford, the new American ambassador, arrived in Damascus, filling a post that had been left vacant since 2005.
A series of other, more practical measures, including millions of dollars of investments in scores of new facilities, plus the scrapping of visa requirements for Iranian and Turkish citizens, also played a role in tourism's growth, Mr al Qalaa said.
The number of Iranian visitors, primarily pilgrims visiting Shiite shrines, increased by 85 per cent compared to 2009's figures, while some 1.5 million Turks visited Syria in 2010, after the lifting of visa requirements the previous year, according to the ministry of tourism.
But the smaller number of Saudi guests - half a million - proved to be more lucrative. Mr al Qalaa said a typical holidaymaker from Saudi Arabia spent US$2,300 during their stay, against the US$430 spent by a Turkish tourist. The number of European visitors also increased in 2010, but they also spent less than tourists from Saudi Arabia. For example, the average German parted with US$1,300 whilst on holiday in the country.
Syrian government statistics have long been called into question by economists, but the ministry of tourism said their analysis of 2010's trends was more accurate, thanks to a computerised exit and entry system on the borders that replaced the traditional method of manually completing forms.
The government was heartened by the tourism numbers, as it is pushing through a programme of economic reforms designed to move Syria from a Soviet-style command-and-control economy to a western-style, market-oriented system. These reforms, backed by the International Monetary Fund and the European Union, have led to economic growth, but have been less successful in meeting the requirements of a rapidly growing Syrian population mired in deepening poverty.
The country has been hit with a succession of devastating droughts in its eastern agricultural heartlands; farming has traditionally accounted for 20 per cent of national output, but farmers have struggled in the face of severe water shortages.
While the tourism numbers helped offset those problems. with tourism accounting for 14 per cent of the economy in 2010, those living in the eastern region of the country will have experienced little of the resulting benefits.
According to ministry of tourism data, only six per cent of foreign visitors to Syria travelled in the eastern portion of the country, and the majority of new investment projects are concentrated in Damascus, Aleppo and the western coastal areas, though many sites of historical interest are located in the east.
Nabil Sukkar, a former World Bank official and an independent economic analyst, said the government was still failing to make full use of tourism assets, with poor facilities, lackluster training of staff and a low-quality branding campaign in overseas markets.
"We need to upgrade the experience offered to tourists and improve the quality and service of hotels and of our personnel working in tourism," he said. "We also need to improve the basic facilities offered at our historical sites."
Mr al Qalaa, the tourism minister, said investments would continue; 85 hotels are scheduled due to open in 2011, up from the 57 hotels opened last year, and he expected the number of tourists to exceed 10.6 million this year.
"We cannot expect growth every year, but for 2011 I expect an 11 per cent growth rate [in tourist numbers]," he said.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
MATCH INFO
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo 4-cyl
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Power: 190bhp
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Price: Dh169,900
On sale: now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final (first-leg score):
Juventus (1) v Ajax (1), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Match will be shown on BeIN Sports
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
If you go
Flight connections to Ulaanbaatar are available through a variety of hubs, including Seoul and Beijing, with airlines including Mongolian Airlines and Korean Air. While some nationalities, such as Americans, don’t need a tourist visa for Mongolia, others, including UAE citizens, can obtain a visa on arrival, while others including UK citizens, need to obtain a visa in advance. Contact the Mongolian Embassy in the UAE for more information.
Nomadic Road offers expedition-style trips to Mongolia in January and August, and other destinations during most other months. Its nine-day August 2020 Mongolia trip will cost from $5,250 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, two nights’ hotel accommodation in Ulaanbaatar, vehicle rental, fuel, third party vehicle liability insurance, the services of a guide and support team, accommodation, food and entrance fees; nomadicroad.com
A fully guided three-day, two-night itinerary at Three Camel Lodge costs from $2,420 per person based on two sharing, including airport transfers, accommodation, meals and excursions including the Yol Valley and Flaming Cliffs. A return internal flight from Ulaanbaatar to Dalanzadgad costs $300 per person and the flight takes 90 minutes each way; threecamellodge.com
'Skin'
Dir: Guy Nattiv
Starring: Jamie Bell, Danielle McDonald, Bill Camp, Vera Farmiga
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
