(14 Sep 2025)
SYRIA BEACHES
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LENGTH: 2:55
CLIENTS PLEASE NOTE MUSIC NOT CLEARED FOR USE. PLEASE USE YOUR OWN CLEARED SELECTION
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Latakia, Syria – 5 September 2025
1. Various of beachgoers partying and sunbathing at a private beach resort
2. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amr Tozan, owner of a beach resort in Latakia:
"First of all, we didn’t know what kind of reaction we’d get but we still wanted to open the place and see because honestly, there were reassurances from the government. For me as an investor, the problems I faced today are not even 5% or 10% of the problems I used to face under the old regime. Honestly, the people (officials) are cooperative. They have appointed knowledgeable locals from the area (in tourism administration). When it came to the tourism sector, we got support. They even told us: ‘Go ahead. You have freedom in your work, regarding swimsuits, regarding alcohol.’ No one interfered with us.”
3. Various of drone shots of beachgoers ++MUTE++
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Amr Tozan, owner of a beach resort in Latakia:
"At first, there was some fear. When we started working and posting stories online, people turned up. Now, people from Damascus, for example, are coming here. They didn’t visit at first. People from Aleppo were already coming, to be honest. The situation is good. We hope for the best, and we hope it will continue this way honestly."
5. Sun going down at resort
6. Various of guests partying
7. Various of drone shots of a public beach ++MUTE++
8. Various of Syrian families swimming at a public beach
9. Various of a private resort with guests swimming
10. Various of beachgoers at private resort playing racket tennis
11. Beachgoer Bassel Mouna at the beach
12. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Bassel Mouna, beachgoer:
"I’m not saying the situation is 100% good, but it’s much better than what we expected or compared to other countries where regime changes happened or anything like that. People are living their lives. People are comfortable and happy. But there is a lot of work that still needs to be done in the country."
13. Small boat at sea carrying the Syrian flag
14. Drone shot of beach ++MUTE++
STORYLINE:
Syrian families and young beachgoers are crowding the beaches of Latakia, enjoying the sun and celebrating a relaxed atmosphere.
People can dance late into the night at a private beach resort in party scenes that reflect a newfound sense of freedom after the fall of Bashar Assad in December.
"We didn’t know what kind of reaction we’d get but we still wanted to open the place and see," said Amr Tozan, the owner of a private beach resort in Latakia.
Syrians are yearning for a sense of normalcy after a long civil war and the ouster late last year of longtime president Assad.
"There were reassurances from the government. For me as an investor, the problems I faced today are not even 5% or 10% of the problems I used to face under the old regime," Tozan said.
Resorts like Tozan’s are operating despite some fears of insecurity and religious tensions in a country that is a home to diverse communities with varying lifestyles.
Still, many religious and ethnic communities are worried over their place in the new system under the transitional government led by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
"At first, there was some fear," Tozan said, but added that local authorities encouraged him to start the business and told him there was freedom with regards to people’s choice of swimwear and alcohol consumption.
AP video shot by Ghaith Alsayed
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