Large numbers of arrivals reflect positively on tourism sectors; hotel reservations ranging between 75% and 100%: Pierre Achkar

Pierre Achkar, President of the Lebanese Hotel Association, the Federation for Tourism Industries in Lebanon, and the National Council of Tourism in Lebanon revealed that the tourism activity during the Eid Al-Adha holiday was good across all regions of Lebanon. 

Achkar emphasized that the significant influx of visitors witnessed at the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport is having a great impact on the tourism sectors throughout Lebanon.  

Those visitors are engaging in tourism activities in the North, Bekaa, South, Mount Lebanon, and Chouf regions. “These areas have been continuously showcasing their breathtaking mountainous nature and historical sites, adapting to the changing global tourism trends following the COVID-19 pandemic," he said. 

He pointed out that "the hotel reservation rates varied according to the different Lebanese regions. While in Beirut it reached 75 percent, the rates increased in mountainous and inland areas, and in some regions, reservations reached 100 percent." 

Achkar emphasized that "reservation rates will increase over time, as thousands of people arrive in Lebanon on a daily basis. However, it is still challenging to estimate the exact reservation percentages since Lebanese tend to make their bookings just a few days or hours before heading to any tourist destination within Lebanon." 

He noted that "information regarding the Airbnb tourism service, especially the number of users utilizing this service, is still unavailable even to the relevant authorities. Therefore, it is impossible to estimate the reservations attributed to it. However, there are undoubtedly thousands of listings in Lebanon that capture a significant portion of hotel bookings, furnished apartments, and guesthouses."