In 2024, a Turkish travel firm will resume offering excursions to Syria under regime rule

Fest Travel Agency, located in Istanbul, Turkey, has announced plans to resume organizing tours to areas of Syria under Bashar Al-Assad's regime, marking a significant development more than a decade into the ongoing conflict in the country. The decision to relaunch trips to Syria for tourists is scheduled to take effect from April 2024, with Fest Travel citing the country's reopening to tourism "after a long, devastating, and tiring war" on its official website. A representative from Fest Travel explained that the travel itinerary involves flights from Istanbul to Beirut, Lebanon. From there, the company will facilitate transportation by car for Turkish tourists crossing the Syrian border, as direct flights between Turkey and Syria are not currently available. Fest Travel's General Manager, Zekeriya Sen, noted that the agency originally began organizing tours to Syria in 2001, establishing itself as a pioneering Turkish organization in this regard. However, the outbreak of the Syrian revolution and the subsequent armed conflict disrupted these tours, impacting not only Fest Travel but also other tourism agencies offering similar packages to Syria.

In the aftermath of the Assad regime's regaining control over most of the country with support from Russia and Iran, tourism to the regime-held territories has gradually resumed. While not entirely secure, this reopening has allowed tourists and influencers to revisit major sites in Syria.

The trip “is an important chance to evaluate the impact of the war, especially. We’ve also added new activities to further enrich our itinerary,” Sen said. “We also offer a tailor-made dining experience for travellers. Our guests will taste the most delicious dishes of Syrian cuisine and learn cooking techniques.”

The company's upcoming seven-day tour, scheduled for April 20-27, 2024, is priced at $1,950 per person. The package includes stays at five-star hotels in prominent cities such as Damascus, Bursa, Palmyra, and Aleppo. Fest Travel has assured participants that it will facilitate security clearance for Syria's land border, obtain entry visas, and secure a special permit for visiting Palmyra.