The western Asian nations of Turkey and Syria are hoping to increase tourism between the two countries by easing border restrictions and expanding international airline links.
Only in the past five years have the two countries started working to repair damage done in the 1930s when France awarded the city of Alexandretta to Turkey, kicking off the bitter feud.
One year after the two countries abolished visa requirements between them, Turkish tourists coming to Syria more than doubled to 1.5 million in 2010.
Both countries are rich with archeological and historically-significant sites, and their governments hope that easier travel, along with more attention from the west, could help attract tourists to the region.
Syria’s Minister of Tourism, Saadallah Agha al-Qalaa, said that he expects tourism in his country to rise by as much as 40 percent this year. “Removing the visas was a watershed decision. The two governments are now encouraging routes by which tourists would travel seamlessly between the two countries,” Qalaa said
The Syrian media, however, has been critical of Qalaa. Some suspect that because of its stronger economy, Turkey will be the only benefactor from this new deal.
But Qalaa says that Turkish air carriers are driving demand for trips into Syria. "The more flights, the more potential tourists into Syria. It will not be only Syrians who will fill the seats," he insists.