Syria tourist numbers up 12%, government says

Tourist numbers in Syria rose 12% last year from 2008 levels, with Arabs accounting for the bulk of visitors, government statistics showed on Sunday.

Syria, which contains several important sites of antiquity, including the ancient city of Palymra, received around six million tourists, including 1.1 million Syrian expatriates and 3.6 million Arabs, in 2009, the state media said. (Reuters)