Yemen’s tourism suffers more than $8 billion in losses due to coalition aggressive war

SANAA, March 29 (YPA) – The Ministry of Tourism stated on Tuesday that the direct and indirect losses to the tourism sector as a result of the Saudi-led coalition aggressive war and blockade, are estimated at more than eight billion dollars, from March 2015 to March 2023.

During an event organized by the Ministry on the eighth anniversary of the National Resilience Day, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism for the Financial and Administrative Affairs Sector, Essam Al-Senini, affirmed that the US-Saudi aggression targeted 473 archaeological and historical sites and tourist facilities, including 25 historical cities, 42 archaeological landmarks, 25 mausoleums, 352 hotels, 81 restaurants, 12 halls, 28 parks and gardens, and eight cafes.

Al-Senini said that the brutal aggression caused the closure of more than 543 tourism agencies, with losses estimated at one billion dollars, and the dismissal of 95 percent of workers in the tourism sector, who support more than 500,000 people at the level of the Yemeni provinces.

He pointed out that the losses of tourist hotels are estimated at one billion dollars, while the tourism promotion sector incurred losses of about 100 million dollars, in addition to the losses incurred by the tourism investment sector, with an estimated investment capital of $51,693,890,000.

The Undersecretary explained that domestic tourism incurred heavy losses as a result of the aggression’s targeting of tourist and historical facilities, landmarks, and sites; the deliberate bombing of the infrastructure, including roads and bridges, and the siege it imposed on land, sea, and air ports and ports.

He added that the aggression prevented the majority of citizens from being able to move around and exercise their right to travel for the purpose of entertainment, medical treatment, or getting acquainted with the tourism potentials that Yemen abounds in.

YPA