Syria’s Ministry of Tourism has announced the licensing mechanism for tourism offices and institutions, including travel agencies, Umrah operators, and domestic tourism providers.

Anyone wishing to establish a tourism office must visit the tourism directorate in their governorate or the Ministry of Tourism to submit the required documents, the ministry said on its official channels on Wednesday, 5 November.

According to the ministry, the application must include a licensing request with the following supporting documents:

• A certified area statement or architectural plan for a non-subdivided site: 25 to 28 square meters for a single activity category, and 28 to 30 square meters as a minimum for an office covering more than one category. If licensing a two-level office, the area must be 30 square meters for a single category and 35 square meters as a minimum for more than one category.
• Proof of commercial status that includes either an investment or lease contract for five years, or a one-year lease with a commitment for the remaining period, or a title deed, along with documents showing a clean criminal record, proof of not being a public employee, and a copy of the national ID.

The ministry said it will then dispatch a specialized committee to inspect the site and issue initial approval, with the applicant pledging not to begin operations before the license is granted.

After the trade name is approved, the applicant must submit:

• A start-up balance sheet of no less than 10 million Syrian pounds.
• A financial guarantee of 25 million Syrian pounds.
• An insured administrative staff member with copies of their certificates.
• A request for a tourism registry entry.
• A request to join the Chamber of Tourism.
• Payment of a service fee between 110,000 and 200,000 Syrian pounds.

The file is then sent to the Ministry of Tourism or the relevant directorate for a final review by a specialized committee to assess the staff. Once approved, the license is officially issued, the ministry said.

Challenges facing tourism offices

Tourism offices in Syria face significant challenges despite the country’s potential in archaeological sites and diverse, attractive geography.

Owners of tourism offices interviewed earlier by Enab Baladi said they are denied the support they should receive from the relevant authorities even as they are required to comply with conditions that obligate every office to hire staff to obtain a license and operate.

Since the fall of the former regime at the end of 2024, the suspension of many embassies, particularly Arab missions, and the downturn in religious tourism, the current government has sought to revive the sector. Many tourism and travel offices have struggled to stay afloat as they wait for the sector to recover and for visitors to return.

For most tourism and travel offices in the years following the 2011 uprising, opportunities were limited to organizing trips to neighboring countries and facilitating travel for people to attend interviews or process paperwork at Arab or foreign embassies.