A N A LY S I S ECONOMY& FINANCE TOURISM IN SYRIA Tool for Capital Accumulation and Political Normalisation by Joseph Daher May 2024 The Syrian government prior­itized tourism recovery for two reasons: to attract in­vestment to stimulate eco­nomic growth, and to pres­ent the desired“face” to the international community in order to foster normalization. The regime hoped that pre­senting Syria as a touristic hub would counter the nega­tive discourse around its hu­man rights violations and promote a more positive face to the world: a stable country with a legitimate government that is worthy of conventional diplomatic treatment. Tourism is an important sec­tor for attracting local and foreign investments. Several prominent regime-affiliated Syrian businessmen, all un­der sanctions, have invested in hotels and other touristic facilities in recent years.