Latakia, Sept. 27 (SANA) Nearly 2,000 runners registered for the second Latakia Marathon on Saturday as the Syrian coastal province launched two days of activities marking World Tourism Day 2026, combining sports, heritage and digital tourism initiatives.
The marathon opened a program organized by the Latakia Tourism Directorate under the auspices of the Tourism Ministry and Latakia Governorate. This year’s activities are being held under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence for Redesigning Tourism.”
The race began at the Court Roundabout on Latakia’s western corniche, continued along the southern corniche and finished at Awqaf Square. It was jointly organized by the tourism and youth and sports directorates.
Latakia Tourism Director Fadi Nizam told SANA that the marathon was intended to promote sports while drawing attention to the city’s tourist attractions.
“The marathon witnessed remarkable public participation this year from residents of the province and visitors, with about 2,000 runners registering through the marathon’s dedicated application, in addition to residents who gathered along the route,” Nizam said.
Activities will continue Sunday at several locations across Latakia province, with free visits to adventure tourism facilities, museums, castles and archaeological sites.
The program includes activities at Wadi al-Muluk in Jableh, the Salnfa Zip Line, Mashqita Sky Park and the Green Valley Restaurant.
Organizers will also visit the Burhan Haidar Museum of Handicrafts and Heritage in Ain al-Bayda as part of an initiative to digitally document its collection and incorporate it into digital platforms and artificial intelligence applications.
Nizam said another initiative would rehabilitate a tourist trail in Wadi Qandil, including improvements to the road and lighting.
He said tourist activity in Latakia this year had increased by more than 300 percent compared with last year across the city and surrounding countryside, driven in part by visits from Syrian expatriates and tourists from neighboring countries.
Nizam said the province had also introduced sports tourism activities this year, including horse races and the marathon, with additional races planned.
Marathon participant Rashid Saleh, who was taking part for the second time, praised the event, saying “the organization is very good along the entire marathon route.”
World Tourism Day is observed annually on Sept. 27. The Latakia program seeks to bring together sports, tourism, heritage and digital technology as part of this year’s activities.
N.J/ABD
