Lebanon's summer soars: Achkar predicts a promising season of tourism

The President of the Lebanese Hotel Association, Federation for Tourism Industries in Lebanon, and the National Council of Tourism in Lebanon, Pierre Achkar, has called upon all political and societal components in Lebanon to provide favorable conditions for a promising summer season and to spare the country any security incidents. 

He considered that "this season represents a "breath of fresh" air for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and it will strengthen the tourism sector, as well as all economic sectors, and also support the families and youth of Lebanon." 

He pointed out that the recent kidnapping operation did not affect the tourism season, as the security forces managed to contain it and liberate the kidnapped individual in record time. 

Achkar announced that the occupancy rate of Lebanese hotels for the 2023 summer season has not yet been apparent, and it may be similar to last year, especially since 80 percent of those who will visit Lebanon are Lebanese expatriates who own homes and engage in domestic tourism. Therefore they do not make reservations months in advance. 

He explained that "if the scenario of last year is repeated, the reservation rate in Beirut may reach between 60 and 65 percent, and outside of Beirut, during the middle of the week, between 25 and 30 percent." 

"As for weekends, the reservation rate will increase to between 65 and 80 percent," expecting that "guesthouses and small hotels will have a 100 percent occupancy rate as they do not require a large number of customers." 

Achkar also emphasized that there are no new investments in the hotel sector, unlike other tourism sectors, because the cost of investment in the sector is very high and differs from investment in other tourism sectors, such as restaurants and others. 

He also revealed that "some previously closed hotels have resumed operations," he confirmed that "a number of large hotels that were affected by the Beirut port explosion are still closed, but they are undergoing slow renovation and restoration processes due to the ongoing crises in Lebanon."