Lebanon's tourism hit hard: Reservation rates plummet amid ongoing crisis in Gaza and the South

Pierre Achkar announced in a statement that "the reservation rates expected in Lebanon's hotels before the Al-Aqsa Flood operation and the accompanying events in southern Lebanon ranged between 30 and 40 percent, but today they range between 0 and 10 percent." 

The President of the Lebanese Hotel Association, the Federation for Tourism Industries in Lebanon, and the National Council of Tourism in Lebanon also revealed that "even hotels in the capital, Beirut, are in a very difficult situation, with a considerable number of hotels being vacant and completely devoid of guests."

Achkar disclosed that "the tourism sector lost the Christmas and New Year season, as reservations in hotels and airline tickets were canceled," pointing out that the tourism sector will incur significant losses due to the ongoing situation. It is premature to estimate them before knowing the direction of events.

He also revealed that "some establishments have closed, especially in remote areas and in the mountains," stating, "Naturally, these establishments will become seasonal since they are unable to bear the cost of energy and water supply in the absence of relatively acceptable occupancy rates."

He emphasized that the bigger problem is that the end of the war in Gaza does not mean that Lebanon will immediately resume the tourist season.

The return of the tourist season requires two to three months, as businessmen, conferences, and exhibitions need time to return to the country. 

Most importantly, Lebanon's return to the Western tourism map will take a long time, considering that "if the events in Gaza cease, Lebanon's tourist season will not witness any significant recovery before the spring of 2024."

Achkar stressed that "there are undoubtedly significant losses that have occurred, but no one can provide precise figures at this time."