Enhancing Lebanon as a tourist destination could revive its economy: Viezzer

The MEDUSA project for developing and promoting adventure tourism in the Mediterranean region organized a seminar and a press conference at the Sursock Museum, concluding the project's activities in various countries, including Spain, Lebanon, Italy, Jordan, and Tunisia.   

Alessandra Viezzer, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, said that enhancing Lebanon as a tourist destination could revive the economy in these difficult times and contribute to improving the lives of vulnerable communities, especially in the areas targeted by MEDUSA.     

The project, which is funded by the European Union under the Program for Cross-Border Cooperation Program in the "Mediterranean Basin" 2014-2020 (ENI CBC MED), benefited 25 tourism institutions that were able to improve and develop 55 adventure tourism products in lesser-known destinations in Spain, Lebanon, Italy, Jordan, and Tunisia.   

In addition, more than 760 people benefited from training on sustainable destination management and tourism business planning.    

The project worked on a Global Markets Report on adventure tourism in the Mediterranean region, as well as creating strategic alliances to promote the management of destinations between the public and private sectors in a sustainable manner.    

Through the project, they worked on a brand represented by a global website that allows tour operators and travel agencies to promote their products around adventure tourism, and René Moawad Foundation (RMF) implemented the project in Lebanon.   

The seminar included a presentation of the first Lebanese to climb Mount Everest, Maxime Chaya, on his experience in adventure tourism, the exchange of experiences of the beneficiaries of the project, as well as the interventions of project managers in different countries.