Syrian Tourism Minister Mazen al-Salhani received a World Bank delegation on Thursday, 15 January, headed by Dr. Catherine Tovey, Director for the Urban Practice, Disaster Risk Management, Resilience, and Land sector in the Middle East and North Africa region, to discuss ways of boosting cooperation and strengthening the World Bank’s support to Syria, particularly support for the tourism sector.
The World Bank delegation reviewed the bank’s experiences and contributions in a number of countries, especially in reconstruction, city rehabilitation, tourism development, and cultural heritage, and how such projects help create jobs, stimulate domestic and international tourism, and improve quality of life for local communities.
According to a statement received by Enab Baladi, the talks focused on the importance of developing regulatory frameworks for the tourism sector, including the classification of tourism establishments, adopting globally recognized regulatory methodologies, and measuring the gap between Syria’s tourism reality and international standards. The two sides also discussed contributing to narrowing that gap through technical support and capacity building, while taking into account the perspectives of both the public and private sectors.
Al-Salhani said the Syrian government views tourism as a key productive sector during the recovery phase, and as one of the most important tools for economic and social reconstruction, given its direct role in creating jobs, mobilizing investment, and improving quality of life in cities and local communities.
He noted that Syria’s tourism institutions are ready to work with international partners, with a focus on projects that deliver fast and tangible impact, contribute to early recovery, and fall within an integrated development vision linking tourism with reconstruction, services, and infrastructure.
The tourism minister also stressed the need to involve local communities in benefiting from archaeological sites located in their areas by rehabilitating these tourism sites. He said this would provide sustainable job opportunities for residents and gradually and systematically revive tourism activity in a way that supports economic and social sustainability.
Al-Salhani added that the ministry is working to update the regulatory framework for the tourism sector, especially standards related to hotel classification and service quality, in line with global methodologies and standards, and in a way that helps narrow the gap between local tourism conditions and international standards.
The meeting concluded with both sides stressing the importance of continued coordination and cooperation to support recovery and sustainable development efforts, and to help revive Syrian tourism as an important economic and cultural driver.
On 17 October, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh said, in an interview with state-run al-Ikhbariya TV, that Syria’s participation in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings revealed a strong desire among member states to help Syria with reconstruction and financing.
What is the World Bank?
The World Bank is a group of global financial institutions that aims to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity by providing financing, advice, and technical support to developing countries. It funds development projects such as infrastructure, education, healthcare, and environmental protection, and works with governments and the private sector to achieve sustainable development.
The World Bank discusses support for Syria’s tourism sector in Damascus Enab Baladi.
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