War in South Lebanon Threatens Tourism Sector’s Summer Hopes: Lebanon Facing Uncertain Future

The owners of tourist centers in Lebanon are looking pessimistically at the next summer season, regretting the summer of 2023, the best after a 3-year hiatus, which made them count on it as the beginning of renewed growth , before the right war begins, destroying all hope.

Today, Israel’s threats of a “hot Lebanese” summer are raising concerns about the impact of the tourist season, and these signs do not show much hope, which is at the head of the Hotel Syndicate, Pierre Al-. Ashqar, talking about it, describes the percentage of hotels from October as “not there.” He told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The same threat of a hot summer, as well as the continuation of the war in the south, are reasons enough for a large number of tourists and tourists without booking​​​​to come to Lebanon,” he said. that signs of reservation usually begin to appear in early May But this year it is not there.

It should be noted that most of the hotels, the largest of which is in Beirut, are partially closed without announcing this, according to Al-Ashqar, also indicating that 90 per hundred of the hotels in Mount Lebanon, most of them closed permanently, even if their owners have not announced this, which can be seen in the number Employees are now the depend on a small number of them, waiting to see what the situation will be in the next stage.

Al-Ashqar regrets last summer’s season, saying: “The season was great after a 3-year hiatus, and we had started the growth phase, and a large number of visitors came foreign visits to this, but today, with the embassies. ‘ warnings to their citizens not to come to Lebanon, of course they will not risk coming that the situation today is worse than it was during the economic crisis, because tourists came to Lebanon far from any warnings or fears.

While Al-Ashqar confirms that once the ceasefire is announced, there will be an increase in reservations, but if it continues for the next few weeks, we will miss the train Day after day, we lose the summer season.”

Knowing that Lebanon’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism, as the tourism sector represents 40 percent of the gross domestic product, that is what Lebanon will lose this year if the security situation in the south continues as it is or if the war expands.

Economist Walid Abu Suleiman told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Tourism drives Lebanon’s economy, so if the season is not promising, hard money will not enter the country, and consumption, which are usually active during the seasons, slowing down. and it will be seen in work in the tourism sectors.

While Al-Ashqar prefers the end of the year to estimate the losses, noting that the direct income of the tourism sector was around 3 and a half billion last year, Abu Suleiman a estimating the loss of the tourism sector during the eight months of the war at 200 million. The US dollar, focusing on the movement seen by the restaurant and cafe sector in particular During the holidays, the hotel sector is still the biggest loser.

Al-Ashqar remembers the festivals that spread throughout the regions from the north to the south, last summer, some of which were not present on the tourist map, until her every small town organized a festival as well as the opening of a large center. number of restaurants and cafes, which reflected the tourism and economic revival in the areas, “but” It seems clear that these festivals will be absent this year. “

It is customary in Lebanon to start announcing major festivals in the first half of each year, which has not happened until now, as organizers do not risk signing contracts with foreign artists due to mis- determined the security situation in Lebanon, and therefore the majority. festivals will be absent this year, the most prominent of which are the Baalbek festivals due to their proximity to areas that are sometimes bombed by Israel. Sources close to the festival department say: “If the war stops in the coming weeks, some festival organizers may organize limited concerts.” But on the other hand, big concerts will be organized. in Lebanon for first class Lebanese and Arab artists, such as Wael Kfoury, Sherine, and Tamer Hosni.

While the tourism sector in Lebanon relies heavily on expatriates as well as tourists, today most Lebanese abroad are experiencing a period of anxiety and reluctance to come to Lebanon, due to the security situation and fear of war extension. One of the mothers who waits for her two children to visit her every holiday says: “They want to come and spend their summer holidays, but they wait a little hopefully the picture will become clearer in the coming days,” but she stops at another problem, that is the prices of travel tickets, which at this point registers a significant increase “It is raising question mark will contribute to a small reduction in ticket prices to encourage everyone to visit Lebanon “My children, like the children of most Lebanese expatriates, can only visit their families.

The number of people who entered Lebanon last year reached around one and a half million, as figures from the Rafic Hariri International Airport showed that between one million and 300 thousand arrived between the months of June , July and August, while the percentage of hotel accommodation was between. between 80 and 100 percent in those months, which has had a positive impact on other tourism sectors, especially restaurants, cafes, and car rental companies.