Syria Today | Q&A: Ali Esmaiel, chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Cultural Services in Syria

Q&A: Ali Esmaiel

Chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Cultural Services in Syria

Words Francesca de Châtel
Photo Bridgette Auger

In your view, what are Syria’s tourism strengths? Where does its potential lie?

Compared to other countries like Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon, Syria is one of the less explored countries in the region. People in Syria are very friendly and first-time visitors often comment on the warm welcome they receive, both in cities and rural areas.

In terms of sights, Syria has a lot to offer tourists: the diversity of landscapes and sites and its rich culture make it a very attractive tourist destination. Syria has a large number of historical sites, many of which have not even been excavated yet. Most tourists from Europe and the United States want to visit the big names like Palmyra, Krak des Chevaliers and Aleppo Citadel, but there is actually a lot more. Syria has more than 10,000 historical sites, of which only 3,000 have been uncovered.

Secondly, there is the geographical diversity, with very varied landscapes in a small area. From the desert in Palmyra you can be on the coast and in a Mediterranean environment within two hours. The country also has a good infrastructure; all major cities are connected to a good road network and more airports are opening up around the country.

Syria has not yet reached its saturation point in terms of visitor numbers, which means that tourists can come here and move around with ease. They can visit historical sites without having to deal with crowds and they can really live history here.

How can Syria best develop its tourism potential? What elements need to be taken into consideration when developing the tourism sector?

Countries with a rich cultural heritage need to develop a reasonable and sensible form of tourism. I think several top officials in the Syrian government are aware of this. Tourism development is still in its early phases in Syria and an appropriate structure still needs to be put in place. We hope that by working with experienced partners and seeking professional advice from within the country, the region and beyond, decision makers will be able to develop a set of guidelines that will encourage reasonable tourism development in Syria.

What policies need to be put in place to develop a sustainable tourism sector, one which will create jobs for the local population, but at the same time not damage the historical and natural heritage?

As we are not policy makers we can only share our point of view, which is based on the Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) experiences in other countries.

Firstly, we believe that all key stakeholders need to be involved in the planning process. This means not just government representatives, but also local society. The latter forms a key partner in the planning process because local players are aware of their needs and know what will harm their environment. Furthermore, in terms of long-term sustainability of the project, the local population is very important.

Of course not every society is equipped with the tools, but this is where the AKDN can participate by working with different partners, both governmental and from society, to build capacity. At the same time, we also learn from the local stakeholders because they know what the needs on the ground are.

Secondly, it is crucial to build on the competitive advantage of each area and of the country in general. So if we are talking about cultural heritage, we should look at how we can preserve that asset in the long term so that it continues to be the catalyst for development.

We believe in an approach in which development is a key factor; not just economic development, but also social and cultural development. This will allow for the creation of sound policies that can be applied on the ground. We don’t want to build fancy policies which have no relevance to the local needs. On the contrary, we need the policy to be built from the bottom up.

Which tourist markets should Syria focus on, Europe or the Arab world?

I think there are several answers to this question. Last year, 76 percent of tourists came from Arab countries which suggests that one should focus on this area. At the same time, other markets such as Europe, the United States and Asia have not been fully exploited and have great potential.

Regardless of where the focus lies, I think one should try to attract tourists who are keen to participate in the development of the country. Not all tourists contribute positively to the development of a country, so it is important to focus on the segment that values what this country has to offer.

Jordan and Egypt, for example, attract many more tourists than Syria every year. Why is Syria’s brand weak?

There are different factors that will attract tourists to a country. They include everything from good infrastructure and facilities, which is something the government and society can work on, to external factors such as the international image of a country.

For years, foreign media has classified Syria in a certain segment and it is very challenging for a developing country to change this. We all know that visitors change their opinion as soon as they arrive in Syria. The challenge is to get them here in the first place. We believe that an improvement in the political situation in the region and increased coverage by Western media will enhance the country’s image. It is also a question of increasing awareness of Syria’s cultural assets among the major global tourism companies.

What projects is the AKDN currently working on and how do they exemplify the AKDN’s particular development ethos?

We signed two contracts with the Syrian government in August 2008 for the development of two hotels in Damascus and Aleppo: Beit Nizam, Quwatli and Sibai in Damascus and the New Serail in Aleppo. Our approach is to involve different stakeholders. We are working with the government and local inhabitants to develop and share our plans so that we all have the same understanding of the project. This means that we are taking all the sensitivities and special needs for the sites into account. We are also drawing up a database of historical documents for each site, something which has never been done before.

In what ways does Syria distinguish itself from other countries where AKDN has worked on tourism projects?

What makes our experiences in Syria different is the historical value of these projects. We are dealing with a cultural wealth that is unique in the world and we are very aware of the fact that we are working on two projects in two of the longest continuously inhabited cities in the world.