In a report titled ‘Tourism Investment in Syria’, the Syrian Ministry of Tourism has said that new investments in the tourism sector will create 96,000 jobs in tourist restaurants and hotels by 2012.
The current number of tourism related construction jobs is 35,151 which will increase to 250,000 by 2012. To keep up with the growth, around 10,000 workers must be trained annually.
Eight new buildings and institutes have also been constructed, according to the report, pointing out that Syria stood second internationally as far as the growth of job opportunities in tourism is concerned.
Syria received about six million tourists in 2009, who spent about $5.2 billion there last year. 74 percent of tourism investments are by Syrian businessmen, 20 percent is by other Arabs and 6 per cent are by foreigners. These investments are expected to double in the next five years.
