With parliamentary elections over and the volatile nature of the country easing, Lebanon may be once again on track to reclaim its status as the Paris of the Middle East
THE latest figures released by the Ministry of Tourism, Lebanon, indicated that nearly 96,000 foreigners visited the country in February this year.
In May this number had risen to 135,000, and according to director general of the Ministry of Tourism, Nada Sardouk, the country was expecting to see two million visitors by the end of the year.
This increase in arrivals was due to '…the calm that has prevailed since the election of president Michel Sleiman,' in May 2008.
Lebanon, which has traditionally been a major destination for Arab visitors from the GCC, had taken a thrashing in recent years after a thread of political assassinations following the Beirut bomb blast which killed ex-premier Rafiq Hariri in February 2005, then the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006, and other internal turmoil.
Sardouk said that after the May election tourism made a dramatic recovery with the arrival of 1.3 million visitors into the Mediterranean country, also sometimes referred to as the ‘Switzerland of the Middle East’ along with ‘Paris of the Middle East’.
Two five-star luxury hotels – the Four Seasons Hotel Beirut and Le Gray – are scheduled to open by the end of this month. Generally hotels in the country were hoping to have a good summer season this year, although it has not started out quite how some had predicted. Rita Chbat, communication executive at Movenpick Hotel and Resort Beirut, said that the occupancy rate at the hotel for June was at around 70 per cent due to the parliamentary elections taking place in the country then.
'We expect to have a great summer season, however, it will be cut short due to Ramadan coming earlier this year,' said Chbat.
Jean D’ark Sarkis, sales and marketing manager, at Radisson SAS Martinez Hotel said that occupancy levels for June were not as expected, and the hotel was not fully booked at all. He felt that visitors from the GCC countries did not come early as predicted, instead they waited for the elections to end.
Rita Faddoul, director of sales and marketing at the Riviera Hotel said, 'The first weeks of June were not as positive as expected due to the elections, but once they were over, bookings were very heavy and occupancy reached 80 per cent.' The hotel was also expecting to receive more visitors from the GCC market in August with the onset of Ramadan.
As of July most hotels experienced a significant rise in occupancy rates, with some hotel managers optimistic while others believing the season would end sooner than expected due to Ramadan in mid-August. Some managers were fearful of the political unrest if the Lebanese government is not formed soon enough. 'We’re not expecting a great season. It depends on the political situation. Occupancy should be very high. We’re a bit disappointed,' said Karine Bsaibes, sales coordinator at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel.
'The good season for us started in July and it should continue throughout August, September and October,' said Jean D’ark Sarkis from Radisson SAS.
Faddoul was also positive. 'This season we will break the records of past years by far. The summer in Lebanon will be one of the best summers ever since 2005.'
Rana Younes, director of sales and marketing at Coral Beach Hotel and Resort, agreed. 'We are expecting an average occupancy of 85 per cent for the months of July and August.'
Lebanon’s Ministry of Tourism has taken many initiatives to boost the tourism industry this summer, including increasing the safety for tourists. A number of festivals, music concerts are back on track all across the country giving back Lebanon its status as the land of peace, love and place full of welcoming and hospitable people. It is also bringing in a wealth of Arab and European tourists.
by Raghda Mughrabil