BOOSTING POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND SYRIA REFLECTED ON TOURISM

DAMASCUS (A.A) - 19.10.2010 - Turkish Culture & Tourism Ministry Deputy Undersecretary Ozgur Ozaslan said on Tuesday that political and economic relations between Turkey and Syria speeded up recently, adding "those relations positively affected tourism sector".
Ozaslan, currently in Damascus to attend the opening of the 8th International Tourism Fair, told A.A. correspondent that, "positive environment in politics led to integration of the two peoples. This is an exemplary development to the world. Peoples of the two countries are pleased over the developments."
Referring to positive results of removal of visa requirements between Turkey and Syria, Ozaslan said, "reciprocal flights support tourism activities."
Asked about the rise in number of Syrian tourists visiting Turkey, Ozaslan said, "nearly 510 thousand people from Syria visited Turkey last year. This figure reached 600 thousand in the first eight months of the year. Similarly, there is a great interest from Turkey to Syria. Number of Turkish people visiting Syria is over 700 thousand."