COUNTRY: Syria

CLIENT:
European Commission

PROJECT TITLE:
“Syria Cultural Tourism Development Programme (CTDP) – Institutional Support for the Private Sector“

SHORT DESCRIPTION

Syria has a rich and diverse cultural heritage, with important sites dating from Early Christianity and the Byzantine era to Islamic and Ottoman Empire. The tourism sector in Syria at the time employed 20% of the population, with cultural tourism demonstrating a huge potential for development. The Syrian government counts more than 3,000 historical buildings and cultural sites, which are hardly promoted and lack professional management and professional visitor services.

The overall objective of this programme is to support the Syrian government in establishing and promoting Syria as a cultural tourism destination. In order to achieve this objective, the competitiveness of the cultural tourism sector and related private sector activities must be improved, thereby increasing the revenue of the Syrian tourism industry and creating new job opportunities.

AGEG Consultants carried out the following measures:

• Conception, organisation and implementation of different individual training programmes for selected stakeholders, including themed events at cultural sites, marketing cultural attractions
• Evaluation of the existing laws and regulations regarding tourism and the economic situation of Syria and the pilot region.
• Development of an action plan and recommendations for the implementation of activities of the private sector in relation to tourism
• Development of a strategy for growth of the economic and social income of tourism activities in the pilot region
• Development of a marketing strategy for cultural sites
• Creation of promotional material