The wonders of Damascus, Aleppo and Palmyra are finally opening up to the world again after a decade of Western funded war. Tourism is finally, slowly, beginning to return to Syria,
from Jordan and further afield. Naturally, the governments that fueled terrorism in hopes of toppling Syria's government are not happy about this development.
I haven't seen much reporting on this momentous turn of events so far. However, one
article I came across mentioned "international tour agencies have started advertising trips to Syria for later this year and into early 2022," writing that tours from the UK and Germany were booking quickly.
This, albeit slow, return of tourism is a good thing-for the shattered economy and the tourists. Before the war, around 8.5 million tourists visited Syria in 2010. With its ancient cities and UNESCO heritage sites like Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers, old Damascus and old Aleppo, among others, Syria is a historian's dream. Over the years, Syrians I've encountered frequently told me they wished tourists would return and, now, they can. Even I would like to return as a tourist, not a journalist, to just enjoy traveling across the country, taking in its amazing and ancient culture.
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