Abboud: Roueis blast was the last nail in the coffin of tourism

Caretaker Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud stressed on Monday that the dangerous security situation prevailing over Lebanon is closely linked to regional events, calling on the concerned authorities to take the necessary measures in order to control the situation.            

In a statement to Voice of Lebanon radio station, Abboud commented on the issue of the governmental formation, saying that the situation has not yet witnessed any progress and the formation will not take place anytime soon.                

Answering a question on the effect of the security situation on the tourism sector, Abboud pointed out that “the Roueis explosion served as the final nail in the coffin of the tourism sector," stressing that tourism in Lebanon will never witness prosperity without political and security stability.                  

On Thursday August 15, a powerful car bomb tore through the Beirut Southern Suburbs' region of Roueis, a stronghold of Hezbollah, claiming the lives of 27 civilians and leaving more than 289 wounded, some of whom are still receiving treatment.