DUBAI: Ask practically any Jordanian over the age of 40 about Damascus, and you’ll undoubtedly hear a nostalgic narrative of a time when weekend vacations to the old city were as regular as trips to the Dead Sea.
The advent of the Syrian civil war reduced such recollections to the depths of nostalgia, turning the once-famous trek into an agony of dilapidated rest spots, militia checkpoints, abrupt closures, and the potential of bloodshed.
However, during the last year, tour buses have emerged on the centuries-old trading route. Private drivers are securing permission to travel north, and a new generation of Jordanian travellers, keen for regional rediscovery, are returning to Damascus. According to statistics released by Syria’s Ministry of Tourism, Jordanians are by far the largest group of tourists in Syria, with 394,871 arrivals in 2025 alone, 93 percent more than the previous year and outnumbering any other nation, including those with significant Syrian populations such as Turkey and Germany.
These results show “not only the reactivation of tourism flows, but a deeper strategic recovery extending beyond the economic domain, according to Syria’s tourism minister, Mazen Al-Salhani. It signals a transition to organized, civilian-driven mobility and a restored perception of Syria as a safe, attractive and culturally rich destination.
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