Syria’s tourism industry is taking a major step towards digitalisation with the launch of My Syria, a new integrated super app designed to bring tourism, hospitality, lifestyle services and digital payments together on a single platform.
Developed by UAE-based Syrian startup 121 Living with strategic support and supervision from Syria’s Ministry of Tourism, the platform seeks to simplify how visitors discover, book and pay for services across the country.
My Syria launches as Syria’s tourism sector records significant growth, with visitor arrivals reportedly rising by 111 per cent in the first half of 2026 to 3.52 million, compared with 1.67 million during the same period in 2025.
The platform currently offers eight services, with plans to expand its network to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across Syria.
What is My Syria?
My Syria is a digital tourism and lifestyle platform developed by 121 Living, a UAE-based startup founded by Syrian entrepreneurs Rami Kaiem, Feras Kaiem, Waseem Qudmani and Kinan Madi.
Rather than functioning as a single-purpose travel application, the platform is designed as a “super app”, bringing multiple services into one digital ecosystem.
Users can access hotels, restaurants, transportation, tourist attractions, experiences, food delivery and other lifestyle services through a single mobile application.
The concept is intended to eliminate the need for visitors to rely on several disconnected platforms when planning and managing their activities in Syria.
According to the company, the platform represents the first phase of a broader vision to build a comprehensive digital platform with expanded services and geographic coverage.
Its development also aligns with the Syrian Ministry of Tourism’s effort to encourage private-sector innovation and use technology to improve the country’s tourism industry.
The Pain Points in Focus
The platform is targeting a number of challenges associated with travelling and accessing services in a market where tourism businesses and services may otherwise be fragmented across different providers.
For visitors, finding accommodation, restaurants, transport, attractions and experiences can involve navigating several businesses and payment arrangements separately.
International travellers can face an additional challenge when familiar digital payment options are unavailable or difficult to use.
My Syria seeks to address these problems by creating what the company describes as “one trusted digital gateway” through which travellers and residents can discover, book and access multiple services.
The platform’s international payment infrastructure is particularly significant because it allows visitors to use familiar payment methods rather than depending entirely on local payment arrangements.
By bringing these services together, the startup is attempting to make the overall tourism experience more convenient, predictable and digitally accessible.
How My Syria Works
At its core, My Syria is designed to function as a central marketplace connecting travellers and residents with tourism and lifestyle businesses across Syria.
A user can open the application to discover available services, select a provider and, where applicable, make a booking or purchase.
Hotels, restaurants, transport providers, attractions and experiences can therefore become part of the same digital ecosystem rather than operating entirely as standalone services.
The platform currently integrates eight services and is expected to expand to more than 40 verified tourism and hospitality providers across the country.
This expansion would give users a wider range of options while creating a larger digital customer base for participating businesses.
The company says the platform will also expand its geographic coverage in future phases, suggesting that the initial launch is intended to establish the technological and commercial foundation for a much broader nationwide tourism ecosystem.
International Digital Payments Set My Syria Apart
One of the platform’s most notable features is its focus on cross-border digital payments.
My Syria claims to be the first platform in Syria to support international digital payments through globally recognised methods including Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
For international visitors, this could remove one of the major frictions associated with making payments in an unfamiliar market.
Instead of having to rely exclusively on cash, local payment systems or separate arrangements with individual businesses, visitors can use payment methods with which they are already familiar.
The company also expects this infrastructure to benefit local businesses by allowing them to reach a wider pool of customers.
The initiative therefore goes beyond convenience for tourists; it is also intended to help Syrian businesses participate more effectively in the country’s emerging digital economy. This payment capability is positioned as a key differentiator for the platform.
Government and Private Sector Join Forces
The launch of My Syria also highlights a growing role for public-private collaboration in the country’s digital transformation agenda.
The platform was launched under the patronage and in the presence of Syria’s Minister of Tourism, Mazen Al-Salhani, with the Ministry providing strategic support and supervision.
The partnership reflects the government’s intention to create an environment where private technology companies can develop solutions for the tourism sector.
Al-Salhani said, “Digital transformation is one of the Ministry’s strategic priorities because it enables us to build a more competitive, connected and investment-ready tourism sector.”
He added that the government’s role was to create an enabling environment that empowers the private sector to develop innovative digital solutions capable of enhancing visitor experiences and strengthening businesses.
The Minister also invited global, regional and local technology companies to explore opportunities arising from Syria’s wider digital transformation journey.
What the Expansion Could Mean for Syrian Businesses
For hotels, restaurants, transport operators, attractions and other tourism businesses, My Syria could provide another route to reach customers and participate in the digital economy.
Instead of depending solely on physical visitors, telephone bookings, individual websites or social media channels, participating businesses can potentially gain visibility through a platform designed specifically around tourism and lifestyle services.
The planned expansion to more than 40 verified providers could also increase the range of services available to users while creating a stronger network of businesses within the application.
The cross-border payment capability could be particularly valuable to businesses targeting international visitors because it makes it easier for customers using global payment methods to complete transactions.
In this sense, My Syria is not simply being positioned as a consumer application; it is also being developed as a digital marketplace intended to connect Syrian businesses with a broader customer base.
Talking Points
My Syria represents more than the arrival of another travel application. It reflects an attempt to use technology to address practical challenges within Syria’s tourism sector while creating a digital bridge between visitors, businesses and international payment networks.
Its integration of tourism services and cross-border payments gives it a distinctive proposition in the Syrian market, while its backing from the Ministry of Tourism gives the initiative an important public-sector dimension.
With visitor arrivals reportedly more than doubling year-on-year during the first half of 2026, the demand for more efficient tourism infrastructure is becoming increasingly important.
The platform’s immediate challenge will be turning its launch proposition into a reliable, widely adopted service.
If 121 Living succeeds in expanding its provider network and delivering a seamless user experience, My Syria could become a significant component of Syria’s emerging digital tourism infrastructure.
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