As many of you will have witnessed, the government of Bashar al-Assad has fallen and is no longer in control of Syria. Groups and factions who have been fighting the government for more than 13 years, have finally taken control of the capital, Damascus, while the now former President, Bashar al-Assad and his family have fled to Russia.
No one is sure what the future holds for Syria. Will fighting continue between the various groups now controlling the country for supremacy? Will Israel use this as an opportunity to advance further into Syrian territory and continue its bombing campaign of Damascus and other parts of Syria? Will peace and cooperation reign supreme after 13 long years of fighting, with the various groups vying for power agreeing on a settled peace that allows Syria to finally reopen to the world? Only days after the fall of Damascus, no one knows.
What we do know is that for the time being, all group and private tours to Syria are cancelled. Until we have a proper understanding of the stability in the country and everyone's safety, we will very sadly not be taking tourists to the Syria. Many are hopeful the tourism will bounce back quickly, which of course we are too, but we need to also be cautious as safety has always been our first priority.
What we also know is that our hearts, thoughts, prayers and wishes are with the people of Syria. For many years we have worked in Syria, both as individuals through our previous professional roles and as part of Saiga Tours. The friends and relationships we have made over the years make Syria such a special place for us, and we really don't say that lightly. We know that everyone we have taken to Syria has felt the same way, and we were completely shocked when seeing the advances. Our minds of course turned to the worst for our friends and loved ones.
Luckily, things seem to be stable at the moment and most Syrians are safe.
We all hope that those who take control of future Syria provide a bright and hopeful future for the Syrian people. We do not know how long it will be, but rest assured, Syria, we will return.
The Saiga Team
