The Syrian Government is demonstrating its dedication to developing the tourism sector if Syria through investing in a comprehensive development programme for their Tourism Police Unit, in association with the British Syrian Society.

This cooperative effort between the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Interior is working to train at least 100 new tourism police officers a year, almost half of them female, and establish Syria’s first Tourism Police Institution.

Global Justice Solutions (GJS), a specialist international consultancy and project management company focusing exclusively on the police, justice and security sectors, and based in Australia and in the UK, have been contracted to provide technical assistance to the project under the auspices of the Syrian Government and the British Syrian Society.

By the end of the programme the recruits will be fully trained up to international policing standards and will have received specialist instruction on how to interact with foreigners and tourists to Syria. There will be particular focus on the notion of police as a service to both foreigners and citizens, rather than simply a law enforcement agency. Recruits will be able to communicate well in English and will be on duty in all locations which receive large number of tourists.

The Project which was first conceived in 2004 by the Development Committee of the British Syrian Society, is making excellent progress. Syria’s reputation of warmth and hospitality precedes her, and the government’s decision to invest in this project to enhance the experience of tourists visiting Syria is in keeping with this history of welcome and the very roots of her enduring civilisation.