Syria needs 20,000 hotel rooms in the medium term
The National newspaper has identified signs of a resurgence in activity within Syria’s hospitality sector, driven by improving security conditions and growing interest from investors, particularly from Gulf countries, in business opportunities in the country. The tourism sector is emerging as a key area poised to benefit from the phase of reconstruction and economic opening.
The National noted that the Syrian government has positioned itself as business-friendly, coinciding with a more moderate and open shift in its foreign relations, although significant changes have not yet been made to hotel operations.
Although tourist numbers remain limited compared to pre-war levels before the conflict erupted in 2011, the newspaper argues that Syria possesses extensive tourism assets, including historic cities, religious landmarks, and castles, alongside geographical diversity ranging from coasts and forests to deserts and the Euphrates River, complemented by a prominent cultural and artistic scene in the region.
Syria currently has only about 5,000 hotel rooms, while Nuzha Murhaf, head of the Syrian Union of Tourism Chambers, estimates that the country needs approximately 20,000 additional rooms in the medium term to accommodate the expected increase in visitors.
He clarified that several hotels still require extensive rehabilitation, but authorities have eased some restrictions, allowing establishments to reopen before renovation works are fully completed, particularly two- and three-star hotels. He noted that the sector faces a shortage of trained personnel due to the exodus of many qualified Syrians during the war years, but the Ministry of Tourism is working with hotels to launch on-the-job training programs.
As another indicator of economic opening, Murhaf predicted that Syria’s reintegration into the international financial system would facilitate bookings from abroad, with the return of credit card companies and international banks enabling hotels to accept electronic bookings and payments.
Murhaf stated that the hospitality sector at the current stage relies heavily on foreigners coming to explore business opportunities, as well as Syrians who are considering returning to the country permanently.
