The recent Moscow's announcement about its intention to expand the list of Russian airports that will be linked to Syrian airports raised questions about the implications of the move in light of the repercussions of the Western blockade imposed on Russia, and the expectations associated with the worsening of the situation between Moscow and Washington on Syrian soil.
The Russian Trade Representative in Syria said that “the expansion of air links between Russia and Syria came in response to the need imposed by the development of comprehensive relations between the Russian Federation and Syria in the economic, military, political and cultural fields, and the increase in the volume of trade exchange between the two countries by 3-5 times in 2021." On the same subject, the state network "Sputnik" reported that the operation of flights will be according to an initial program that includes one to two flights per week, on board aircrafts of the Russian airline "Kosmos". It added that the new air route will contribute to launching a number of new tourism programs between the two countries, and activating religious pilgrimage visits to Syria, noting that the plans in place include time programs to expand the list of Russian airports that will be linked through direct flights with Syria.
Russian sources told that the goal of enhancing the areas of exchange of goods and the movement of businessmen between Syria and the Russian regions is a priority now, within the framework of the permanent Russian search for suitable alternatives, after Europe and a large part of the countries of the world closed their airspace to Russian air traffic. This development has paralyzed the foreign tourism sector in Russia, in addition to its effects on the movement of goods.
Recently, the Syrian ambassador in Moscow referred to this point when he said that Russia and Syria are actively working on regulating the flow of tourism between the two countries within the framework of bilateral economic cooperation. Referring to the Western countries on the list of "unfriendly countries," the ambassador said that the Syrian people "are ready to receive Russian friends with open arms, because the excellent relations between our two countries are not limited to the political level."
There is no doubt that the expansion of the air links network between Russian and Syrian airports plays a key role in revitalizing the tourist path and commercial transport operations, especially in the context of operating flights from the various Russian regions directly and not through Moscow, as is the case with Turkey, for example, which is an important tourism and trade partner for Russia.
Russian tourism experts promote the saying that “all the main tourist attractions in Syria are open to tourists, including ancient Palmyra, where a peaceful life has already been established. In addition of this there are Aleppo, the second largest city in the country, the castle of the fortress, the famous Christian monasteries, as well as the ancient city of Bosra in the south of the country." At the same time, they emphasized that the level of security in the country has increased significantly, compared to 2019. The restrictions have been reduced and the number of roadblocks reduced significantly. More importantly, tourism advertising does not neglect the motivation and marketing element in the search for adventurers seeking to visit the country burned by wars and “saved by Russia.”
But these signs have serious problems: focusing on the idea of tourism to a 'friendly country' as an alternative to the 'hostile West', promotion companies cannot ignore that independent tourism in the country is practically banned. The waiting groups of tourists cannot travel between cities without being accompanied by trained guides and with security support. So experts say that, for the moment, there is a need for continued support from state-approved local host companies, and currently, according to estimates by specialized Russian media, there are about eight such organizations in Syria. In addition, there is still a serious shortage of tourist guides in Syria, especially Russian-speaking, and a need to develop a hotel and service base in Syria, whose hotel buildings have been badly damaged by the war.
Finally, it was announced that the Russian company "Sinara Int" had signed an investment contract to build a tourist complex in the "Gol Jamal" area on the shores of the city of Latakia, northwestern Syria. The contract stipulates investing the important tourist site to build a huge complex at a cost of 5 billion Syrian pounds, or about 28 million dollars.
The resort, which is the first of this Russian investment trend in the tourism sector, is expected to include 350 rooms with a large number of chalets, in addition to summer and winter swimming pools, restaurants and tourist activities that contribute to the revitalization of tourism in Lattakia in summer and winter, provided that a Russian company specialized in managing the resort.
With the launch of its activities in Syria, "Sinara Int" said that it seeks to inaugurate a new phase that will put Syria on the list of the main destinations that Russian tourists can choose.