More than any other leader, Bashar al-Assad needs to show the world that he’s here to stay. The rebels in Syria’s civil war say the crisis will not be resolved so long as he remains in power. Assad begs to disagree. His efforts to create an impression of a leader unconcerned about losing his job have included planning an election in the midst of the war (it takes place June 3, whether or not half the country remains displaced) and expressing dubious concern about public safety in Istanbul (following the demonstration in Gezi Park, Syria’s government advised citizens against visiting Turkey). This habit of feigning comfort is so entrenched that The Onion mocked it last year with a news story announcing that the regime was creating a “bike share” program in Damascus.

This year, though, Assad’s regime has one-upped the satirists: His government has decided to launch a new push for tourism.

In early May, the regime unveiled proposals to lure visitors to the Assad heartland of Lattakia, including a public beach equipped with a fast-food restaurant, a cafe that seats at least 200, and a parking lot for out-of-towners. Now may not be the best time for a trip to the beach in Lattakia: Rebel Islamist groups marched towards the province in late March. Although they lost in the end, their offensive alarmed the regime, which had to counter them by repositioning some of its forces from other areas.

Never mind. On May 11-12, the Ministry of Tourism held a forum highlighting small and medium-sized touristic projects at Damascus’s Dama Rosa Hotel. Twenty-four proposals, which the Ministry claims are ready for investment, came out of the forum, and some of them are located in Hama, a province where the regime’s future is tenuous. The Ministry granted a license for a 42-room hotel in Hama with a restaurant and health center containing a Jacuzzi, sauna, and steam room. How guests will be able to reach the facility safely is unclear: The hotel is located on the Homs-Hama road, which was bombed by the Free Syrian Army on April 16.

In a country where three UNESCO World Heritage Sites—Palmyra, Krac des Chevaliers and the Aleppo Citadel—have suffered damage while being used for military purposes, tourism may be a tough sell. But Assad has other reasons for it beyond just keeping up appearances.