Despite devastation of 5-year civil war, Syria promotes tourism

Syria’s Tourism Ministry releases a new video promoting travel to the country, despite five years of bloody conflict that have left an estimated 400,000 dead and 7.6 million people displaced.

The video, published on the ministry’s Facebook page, shows a jet ski zipping along the Syrian coast as dozens of people enjoy the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The camera then zooms over rolling green fields and a sprawling city scene before returning to the seafront images, while pulsating music plays in the background.

The footage was reportedly filmed at Tartus, Syria’s second port city and home to a Russian naval base, and ends with the slogan: “Syria – Always Beautiful.”

This is not the first time that the embattled Syrian regime has sought to promote the country as a tourist hot spot. Since the start of the conflict, it has released videos showcasing the now-ravaged Aleppo and Damascus, as well as touting the entire country as “the cradle of civilizations.”