3.5 million visitors to Syria in the first six months of 2026

After 14 years of war and security turmoil that devastated Syria and crippled many of its sectors—particularly tourism, which had nearly collapsed—the Syrian Ministry of Tourism has released figures offering renewed hope to Syrians and showing the world how a country can begin to recover once freed from a criminal dictatorship and Iranian influence.

According to the ministry, Syria welcomed 3.52 million visitors during the first half of 2026, compared with 1.67 million during the same period in 2025—an annual increase of 111%.

Official figures show that the number of foreign tourists rose from 131,000 to 719,000, an increase of 448%, while the number of Arab visitors climbed from 320,000 to 664,000, marking growth of 107%.

Visits by Syrians living abroad also increased significantly, reaching 2.13 million compared with 1.22 million in the first half of last year—a rise of 75%. This group accounted for the largest share of total arrivals.

The data also showed that Turkey topped the list of countries sending foreign tourists to Syria, followed by Germany, Sweden, the United States, the Netherlands, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Among Arab countries, Jordan ranked first, followed by Lebanon and Iraq.