“This is also tourism resilience at its best. One can predict what relations between Israel and Syria will look like in the post-Assad era,” explained World Tourism Network Hero Dov Karmann. Karmann leads a Tourism Management company in Tel Aviv. He is known for an out-of-the-box approach.
His company was one of the first pioneers in Israel, representing a tourism board for an UAE Emirate in Israel. It was launched after Israel and the UAE established airlines and diplomatic ties.
The current development situation in Syria in the last 24 hours raised hope for many and an opportunity for Dov. He approached senior Syrian tourism officials with a proposal to collaborate on building the foundation for future Israeli tourism to Syria.
He was inspired by Israel Middle East expert Dr. Mordechai Kedar, who explained on Israel TV: “I am in contact with very senior figures among the Syrian opposition forces. From their perspective, after they remove Hezbollah and Iran, they are ready to open an Israeli embassy in Damascus and Beirut and a Syrian embassy in Jerusalem. For them, Israel is the solution, not the problem.”
Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a Religious Zionist and an expert in Israeli Arab culture. He served for 25 years (1970–1995) in IDF Military Intelligence, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. He specialized in Islamic groups, the political discourse of Arab countries, the Arabic press and mass media, and the Syrian domestic arena.
In light of this, Dov had no time to wait. He contacted the heads of the Syrian Travel Agents Association and the Syrian Chambers of Tourism to prepare the groundwork for potential tourism cooperation between the two countries.”
In a personal letter, Karmann emphasized the enormous potential of Israeli tourism in Syria and the opportunity to create a bridge of peace and regional cooperation between the two countries through tourism.
“Syria’s impressive historical sites, the stunning coastal areas of Latakia and Tartus, the villages surrounding the Orontes River, and, of course, the exceptional Arabic hummus are all points of interest that will attract many segments of Israeli society,” Kalmann wrote. “The 175,000 Israelis of Syrian origin, 150,000 members of the Druze community, 2 million Arab Israelis, and many others will be eager to explore this nearby destination, accessible by a short car ride.”
“Israel is one of the leading outbound markets for tourism worldwide,” Karmann added. “This year, more than 240,000 Israelis visited Thailand. Similarly, Israel has become one of the top source markets for the UAE, which was considered until a few years ago an enemy state. “
Before the war, nearly half a million Israelis visited Sinai annually, and around two million visited Turkey. Based on these figures, we estimate that Israeli tourism to Syria could reach hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.
“With Syria’s tourism industry relying heavily on two primary markets, Russia and Iran, likely to diminish due to political changes, Syria should be interested in exploring new markets with much greater potential.”
Tarranova’s letter concluded with an invitation for Syria tourism leaders to meet and explore potential models for tourism cooperation.
