Federation of Tourism Unions urge against holding municipal elections during summer

The Federation of Tourism Unions announced on Thursday in a statement that "following the proposal of Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Elias Bou Saab, to expedite a law to extend the mandate of municipal councils until September 30, 2023, the Federation of Tourism Unions in Lebanon held an emergency and exceptional meeting under the chairmanship of its President, Pierre Achkar, with the participation of the President of the Syndicate of Restaurant, Cafe and Night Club Owners, Tony Ramy, the President of the Syndicate of Maritime Tourism Institutions, Jean Beiruti, the President of the Syndicate of Travel and Tourism Agencies, Jean Abboud, and the President of the Syndicate of Car Rental Agencies, Mohammed Daqdouq.

The repercussions of postponing the municipal elections and holding them in the coming summer were discussed during the meeting.

The Federation appealed, after lengthy discussions, "to the relevant authorities, especially the Parliament, not to hold the municipal elections in the summer," pointing out that "the tensed atmosphere accompanying these elections, whether during the campaigns and festivals or the actual voting, in every city, town, and village in Lebanon, could negatively impact the summer tourism season, which is greatly relied upon to revive the tourism sector and support the national economy after three years of crises and successive closures."

The Union emphasized the "necessity of postponing the conduct of elections, whether municipal or parliamentary, during holiday seasons and peak tourist seasons in Lebanon." 

The Union added that due to the severe economic collapse that has affected Lebanon, it is estimated that the tourism sector can play a pivotal role in economic recovery and rebuilding. 

"The tourism sector has the immense capacity to inject hard currency into the Lebanese market in significant quantities," the statement read.

The Union concluded by warning that "overlooking these scientific and objective facts will inevitably lead to further deterioration, economic collapse, and systematic destruction of various tourism sector institutions.