Middle East tourism shift? Israeli company seeks Syria cooperation

The Israeli tourism company Terranova has launched an innovative and surprising initiative in the Middle Eastern tourism sector. The company approached senior tourism figures in Syria with a proposal to collaborate on building infrastructure for future tourism of Israelis in the country.

The initiative followed statements by Middle East expert Dr. Mordechai Kedar, who revealed connections with senior figures in the Syrian opposition forces. According to him, these individuals expressed willingness to open mutual embassies between the two countries after the removal of Hezbollah and Iranian forces from Syria.

"We decided to take advantage of the opportunity and reach out to the Chairman of the Association of Travel Agents and the Chairman of the Association of Tourist Offices in Syria," says Dov Kalmannn, Chairman of Terranova. In a letter he sent to the managers of the Syrian tourism sector, Kalmann highlighted the enormous potential of Israeli tourism. "Syria’s impressive historical sites, the beautiful coastal strips of Latakia and Tartus, the villages around the Orontes River, and of course the exquisite Arabic hummus, are points of interest that will attract many people in Israel."

According to Kalmann, the potential target audience includes 175,000 Israelis of Syrian descent, 150,000 Druze, two million Arab Israelis, and additional Israeli tourists. "Israel is one of the leading markets in outbound tourism," explains Kalmann. "Over 240,000 Israelis visited Thailand, and the UAE, which until a few years ago was considered an enemy state, has become one of the main markets for Israel."

Kalmann notes that before the war, about half a million Israelis visited the Sinai beaches each year, and two million went to Turkey. "Given these figures, we estimate that Israeli tourism to Syria will reach hundreds of thousands of tourists annually," he says. "Since tourism to Syria from the two main markets – Russia and Iran – is expected to significantly decrease due to political changes, Syria has an interest in considering new options with much higher potential."