Despite the crippling economic crisis and the fragmented political situation, Lebanon remains, with its picturesque nature and people, who rise against death and love life, the preferred destination for Arab and foreign tourists and its expatriate, which spread out in most countries of the world.
According to the sector's leaders, tourism flourished during Easter and Eid Al-Fitr holidays in April, noting that the expected number of arrivals for the next summer season may approach the numbers that Lebanon was recording before the crisis erupted in 2019.
This article was originally published in and translated from Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al-Watan.
President of the Lebanese Federation for Tourism and Head of the Lebanese Hotel Association Pierre Ashkar said in an interview with the "Nidaa Al-Watan" that "the number of Lebanese in the Arab Gulf is 450,000 and 250,000 expatriates in Africa. They come to Lebanon during the holidays, but most reside in the homes of relatives in Lebanon and are not booked in hotels".
He pointed out that "we cannot rely on the numbers that came to Lebanon on Eid al-Fitr to build expectations about the summer season because the summer holiday is longer, and therefore the numbers of arrivals to Lebanon from abroad are generally greater."
Commenting on the impact of the economic crisis on the tourist season in Lebanon, he stressed via "Nidaa Al-Watan" that "the tourism sector enters foreign currencies into the Lebanese economy," hoping for "the election of a president and the formation of a new government with the onset of summer, and that the regional climate and changes in the region will reflect positively on the situation in Lebanon."
Ashkar also hoped that "relations with the Arab Gulf countries will return to their previous state because Arab tourists are the backbone of the tourism sector so that life can return to the large hotels in Lebanon, which include huge investments."
However, he fears that the country's political tension will continue, negatively affecting the summer tourism season.
Regarding the airport's traffic, in numbers, the Director General of Civil Aviation, Fadi El-Hassan, revealed that the numbers of arrivals and travelers are close to those that Lebanon witnessed before 2019, expecting passenger traffic to exceed 7 million by the end of 2023.
Regarding Eid Al-Fitr, El-Hassan said in an interview with "Nidaa al-Watan" that 10 thousand passengers arrive in Lebanon daily, and at the end of the month, it is expected that the number of arrivals and departures will be about 600 thousand people.
El-Hassan stressed that the airport security services are committed to the exceptional measures adopted during the holidays and tourist seasons to ensure the security of travelers, "they are in constant coordination with the Ministry of Tourism and are committed to its instructions to facilitate the implementation of its campaign "Ahla Bhal Talleh Ahla."