Sun, sea, sand & civil war

Nora Johnson Breaking Views

IT has sun, sea and a wealth of historical remains. It is also fighting wars on multiple fronts, with regime opponents regularly being rounded up for torture and imprisonment — but that hasn’t deterred the first wave of tourists to book holidays in Syria since the pandemic.

The authorities in Damascus have begun issuing tourist visas again, which were in theory available throughout the decadelong civil war but were stopped during the pandemic.

Travel companies across Europe have organised tours emphasising the country’s cultural heritage, while also stressing that they’re not conventional package holidays. “Syria has en­ dured a turbulent few years with most of the country ravaged by civil war,” one UK­based company specialising in tours to “difficult” countries, disingenuously admits on its website brochure.

Nonetheless, the tour operator’s taking participants (paying £1,500+ for the week’s visit) to Damascus, the second city Aleppo, recently divided between government and rebel forces, and the classical site of Palmyra, once occupied by Islamic State. The first tours were at the time of writing all fully booked, although “the Foreign Office advises against all travel to Syria,” according to its official guidance.

So where will you be spending the Summer? I’d rather stay here in Spain…

Nora Johnson’s 12 critically acclaimed psychological suspense crime thrillers (www.nora­johnson.net) all available online including eBooks (€0.99;£0.99), Apple Books, audiobooks, paperbacks at Amazon etc. Profits to Cudeca cancer charity.