In the first half of 2026, approximately 3.52 million people visited Syria. During the same period the previous year, the figure was about 1.67 million. This represents an increase of approximately 111 percent in the number of visitors, according to the Syrian Ministry of Tourism.
Significantly More Foreign Tourists
The number of foreign visitors from non-Arab countries grew particularly sharply. Approximately 719,000 foreign tourists traveled to Syria in the first six months of the year. During the same period the previous year, the figure was about 131,000. This represents an increase of about 448 percent.
More Visitors from Arab Countries
Significantly more people also came to Syria from Arab countries. The number rose from about 320,000 in the first half of 2025 to about 664,000 in the same period of 2026. This represents growth of about 107 percent.
Syrians Living Abroad Make Up the Largest Group
The largest group of visitors consisted of Syrians living abroad. Approximately 2.13 million Syrians living abroad visited the country in the first half of 2026. In the previous year, the figure was about 1.22 million—an increase of about 75 percent.
Turkey Leads in Foreign Visitors
Among the countries of origin, Turkey ranked first. It was followed by Germany, Sweden, the U.S., the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom, among others.
Ministry Sees Opportunities for Many Sectors
The ministry views the rise in visitors positively. The figures could be particularly significant for hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and other sectors of the tourism industry.
The data comes from statistics compiled by the Directorate of Planning and Statistics of the Syrian Ministry of Tourism and was published by the Syrian state news agency SANA.
Further information:
https://sana.sy/en/tour-syria/2331036/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
tun26080509