TEHRAN—Iran and Syria officials have recently discussed ways to resume pilgrimage journeys to Syria.

Head of Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization Seyyed Sadeq Hosseini met Syrian Interior Minister Mohammad Khaled al-Rahmoun in Damascus on Sunday, ISNA reported.

“Providing all the necessary groundwork and preparations to ensure the safety and health of Iranian pilgrims is our request to the Syrian Minister of Interior,” Hosseini said.

For his part, al-Rahmoun said that Syria’s priority after the war was to establish security, and safety and security are now provided for Iranian pilgrims.

In another meeting with Syrian Tourism Minister Mohammed Rami Martini, Hosseini noted that the infrastructure and culture of the pilgrimage tourism in Syria must be improved so that Iran can send more pilgrims to the country.

The Iranian government has set up clinics for providing medical services to pilgrims in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and this option can also be provided in Syria so that Iranian pilgrims can receive medical attention in case of need, he added.

The elimination of airport taxes will also play an important role in reducing travel costs and ultimately sending more pilgrims, so this should be considered, he mentioned.

There have been good and appropriate steps taken by this ministry to promote academic and scientific education in the field of tourism, said Martini.

Providing appropriate training to service providers will certainly increase Iranian pilgrim satisfaction, he added.

As a result of the Syrian War, which began in 2011, tourism in Syria has greatly declined, even though Syria has some of the oldest cities in West Asia, such as Damascus and Aleppo (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Before the Syrian Civil War, 8.5 million tourists visited Syria in 2010, generating revenue of $8.4 billion and contributing 14% to the national economy. Tourist numbers had decreased by more than 98% by 2015.

ABU/AM