Tourist complaints in Syria: the Labbaik hotline and tourism police

If a hotel, restaurant or tour office overcharges you, adds an item without telling you or pushes a service you did not ask for, there is an official place to complain: the Ministry of Tourism’s complaints centre, called Labbaik. It reopened on 10 May 2026, works in Arabic and English, and accepts WhatsApp messages with photos attached. In the same month, imposing unrequested services in tourist establishments was banned and the first class of tourism police graduated. This page puts the three together with dates: where and how to complain, how long it takes, and who the tourism police are. Emergencies such as an accident, a lost passport or detention are not covered here; they are on the page about what to do in an emergency.

Where and how to complain

There are four ways to reach the Labbaik centre. The channels come from a 10 May 2026 report by SANA, the state news agency:

• Phone: 011137
• Email: 137@mots.gov.sy
• WhatsApp: +963934137137, photos can be attached
• In person, or by written petition

For now the centre works in Arabic and English; other languages are to be added later. It handles complaints about restaurants, tourist establishments, tourism offices and other businesses in the sector. The numbers are from the May 2026 announcement, so check they are still current before you travel.

A complaint works best with concrete details: the name and address of the business, the date and time, the amount paid, and a photo of the bill or the menu. That is why the WhatsApp channel is useful; you can photograph the receipt on the spot and attach it.

How long a complaint takes

The figures the ministry released come from a five-month trial period. An ordinary complaint was closed in 3 days on average. Administrative complaints that had to go to a legal committee took seven and a half days on average. Complex cases can run to 15 days. On a short trip, then, the outcome often arrives after you have left the country; the complaint is still recorded and action against the business still starts.

If the bill includes something you did not ask for

Under a directive in force since early May 2026, tourist establishments may not impose or provide a service the customer did not request. That covers mezze put on the table unasked, a service item nobody ordered, or a charge added without warning. According to SANA the penalties escalate: a first violation brings a written warning to the owner, and a repeat can close the establishment.

Pricing is less settled. In March 2026 the ministry was working with owners on a system in which prices would be set by an establishment’s grade and displayed openly. There is no source showing that a price list has actually been published. In practice, ask the price before you order and make clear from the start whether everything brought to the table is charged. Tipping and haggling customs are on the page about tipping and bargaining.

Who the tourism police are, and where

The tourism police are a unit set up jointly by the ministries of Tourism and the Interior. According to a report in The National on 3 June 2026, their job is to direct tourists to where they are going and to help with safe travel on designated tourist routes.

The first class graduated on 17 May 2026 at the training branch in Tartus. It had 518 members and the course lasted four months. It covered tourism law, archaeology and the protection of tourist sites, with language classes in English, French, Turkish and Russian. The Interior Ministry’s spokesman said women made up a large share of the graduates. The graduates are being posted to the Latakia and Tartus governorates.

Interest in the unit is high. New Lines Magazine reported on 10 September 2026 that about 15000 people applied and more than 500 accepted candidates are waiting for a training place. The training institutes are in Tell, in the Damascus countryside, and in Tartus; the one in Tell opened in March 2026.

Teams also work away from the coast. In September 2026 the tourism police in Bosra escorted a French traveller who was crossing into Jordan on foot. The sources give no direct phone number for the unit, so approaching an officer on site is more realistic than calling.

Which one to contact, and when

The split is simple. Problems with bills, fees, establishments and tour offices go to the Labbaik centre. For directions, help at a site, or a safety concern, there are the tourism police on the ground. For theft, an accident, a health problem or a lost passport, the first step is the police and emergency services; that process is explained step by step on the page about what to do in an emergency.