A significant increase has been recorded in the number of tourists visiting Syria over the past year. In 2000, more than three million tourists visited Syria, according to Al-Ahram daily.
This figure reflects a 12.5 percent increase compared with the previous year, 1999, when the number of incoming tourists stood at 2.86 million, of which 1.9 Million were Arabs. Noteworthy is the fact that there was a sharp rise in the percentage of arriving European tourists. The year 2000 saw a 30 percent climb in these tourists compared to 1999.
An unnamed Syrian official at the Ministry of Tourism stated that tourism profits during the year 2000 reached $74.4 million. In 1999, this figure amounted to only $52.4 million. This reflects a 42 percent rise.
In 1998, the total number of tourists amounted to 2.4 Million. The increase in the number of tourists was nine percent -- seven percent in the number of Arab tourists, and 16 percent for other nationalities). ― (MENA Report)
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
