Tourism cooperation

Lebanon and Syria draft plan for their five-year tourism agreement

The Ministry of Tourism issued a decree adopting an executive plan for implementing a tourism cooperation agreement with Syria. The five-year agreement was initially signed in July 2010.

According to the program, the two countries will promote tourism between one another. They should thus mutually facilitate the passage of tourist groups from one to the other.

The program urges both countries to encourage their airline operators to establish regular flights from one to the other at low prices. Last week, Syria’s national carrier, Syrian Air, said that it would resume direct Beirut-Aleppo flights starting December 23rd.

The tourism cooperation plan also calls for establishing close coordination between tourism and travel firms, and all tourism-related institutions. It calls these firms to draft joint programs in order to promote tourism in both countries, while setting prices comparable to those in competitive markets.

The cooperation program also calls for setting a plan to publicize tourism in Lebanon and Syria as one district, mainly in remote tourist markets.

The program urges the exchange of expertise in the field of tourism training. It proposes organizing joint training sessions for workers in the tourism sectors, as well as for public and private sector employees responsible for receiving tourists.

The program also calls on the two countries to promote the establishment of joint tourism enterprises.