Tourism Sector: “Taking Each Day as it Comes”

“Lebanon Debate”

The fear of a potential war expansion in the South is intensifying by the day. Concerns have heightened following the report by the British newspaper Telegraph alleging the presence of weapons and missiles at the Beirut International Airport. People are worried that this situation could negatively affect Lebanon's tourism season.

Jean Beyrouthy, Secretary-General of the Federation of Lebanese Touristic Syndicate, confirmed to Lebanon Debate that “the tourism sector is significantly affected by the current situation in the South. Most tourists are scared and hesitant to visit Lebanon due to the security situation and the threat of a war expansion.”

Regarding the chaos caused by the Telegraph report, he indicated that “it had no notable effect on the tourism sector. Reservations by expatriates were not canceled, and there were already no foreign reservations to speak of. Moreover, Gulf tourism to Lebanon was already minimal. Therefore, we observed no changes following the airport issue."

Beyrouthy further explained, “We lost a part of our tourism season. Regarding the current movement of foreigners to Lebanon, our anticipations are uncertain. However, our only hope lies in expatriates residing in Arab countries who may choose to spend their summer holidays with their families in Lebanon.”

The Secretary-General reaffirms that “domestic tourism is vibrantly active. I encourage expatriates to visit Lebanon. They will help in stimulating tourist infrastructure and fostering optimism in their homeland.”

He concluded by saying, "We are taking each day as it comes, especially with the repercussions of the war in Gaza and southern Lebanon on the tourism sector. Many hotel reservations have been canceled due to the ongoing security incidents.”

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