Latakia, June 29 (SANA)ASyrian-Turkish tourism forumconcluded inLatakiawith recommendations aimed at strengthening tourism cooperation and facilitating cross-border travel betweenSyriaandTürkiyethrough the Kassab border crossing.

Organized by the Latakia Tourism Chamber under the patronage of theMinistry of Tourismand Latakia Governorate, the two-day forum was held under the theme “From Antakya to Latakia” and brought together an official and industry delegation from Turkey alongside representatives of Syria’s tourism sector.

The Turkish delegation included representatives of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TÜRSAB) and tourism companies from Antakya, Ankara, Istanbul, and Antalya.

Participants discussed joint tourism programs, cooperation between travel agencies, hotels, and restaurants, and opportunities to expand tourism investment and business partnerships between the two countries.

Samer Khaled al-Masri, chairman of the Latakia Tourism Chamber, told SANA the forum marked the beginning of a new phase of Syrian-Turkish cooperation, describing it as a practical platform for rebuilding tourism, economic, and people-to-people ties.

He said the strong participation by Turkish tourism officials reflected a shared desire to deepen cooperation and launch joint tourism initiatives in the coming period.

The forum recommended studying a mechanism to facilitate visas for businesspeople and members of economic organizations in both countries, introducing reciprocal measures at the Kassab border crossing, restoring overland tourism and passenger transport between Latakia and Antakya, launching joint tourism programs, and welcoming the first Turkish tourist groups to Latakia.

Participants also recommended expanding cooperation in tourism, investment, trade, industry, agriculture, and services, submitting the recommendations to the relevant government authorities, and beginning preparations for the first Syrian-Turkish Conference on Tourism and Investment in Latakia.