Lebanon Tourism Pays the Price for Syria's War

  • W460
  • W460

Dia's restaurant in the Lebanese resort village of Aley is deserted. Most years, he caters to thousands of rich Gulf Arab tourists and to visiting expats, but this year no one has come.

"Usually, there's so many people here that even finding a parking spot is hard. Now, there's so few people that we let them park right outside the entrance," complained the 27-year-old.

His neighbor, a cake shop owner, said sales are down by 50 percent compared with June last year.

"In other years, we had clients coming in every 15 minutes. Now, it's a miracle if someone enters," he said, hiding his worry behind a smile.

Lebanon is reeling from the spillover of war in neighboring Syria, with deadly sectarian clashes, elections postponed, the absence of a government and the influx of half a million refugees.

The Mediterranean country's beaches, superb Roman and Phoenician sites and legendary nightlife are barren.

Early this summer, the six oil-producing Gulf monarchies sounded the death knell for this season's tourism when they told their citizens to avoid Lebanon for security reasons.

Well-heeled visitors from the Gulf normally account for 65 percent of the country's tourists, but the number of Saudis, Kuwaitis and other Gulf tourists this June is 80 percent lower than in June last year.

An already bad situation grew even worse last weekend when news bulletins carried footage of a major 24-hour firefight in southern Lebanon's city of Sidon, pitting the army against radical Islamists.

Eighteen soldiers were killed.

The port city of Sidon is home to a beautiful old district, fish restaurants, souks (traditional markets) and even a soap museum.

"As soon as you even utter the word 'weapons' you've killed tourism," Paul Achkar, head of the Lebanese hotel association, told Agence France Presse.

"Three hundred tourism establishments have closed down since the start of the year," he said.

Although confident that the industry will recover, Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said the figures for the start of the season were pitiable.

"The occupancy rate at hotels in Beirut is barely 35 percent this month, half of the usual at this time of year.

"Outside Beirut, it's catastrophic. We're talking about five percent compared to the usual 35 percent," Abboud told AFP.

The atmosphere in Beirut, dubbed party capital of the Middle East, is not so morose, and Christian areas such as Byblos or Jounieh have also fared better than other areas.

But Hizbullah bastion Baalbek, home to one of the world's most beautiful and best preserved Roman sites, has been hit hard.

It has been targeted by rockets fired by rebels fighting Syria's President Bashar Assad, after Hizbullah joined the war fighting alongside regime forces.

The rocket attacks' only but noted victim was the famed international music festival, traditionally held in the temple of Bacchus, and headline act American soprano Renee Fleming cancelling her trip to Lebanon.

It is now expected to be held at a different venue, but without Fleming.

For now, other music festivals at Byblos and Beiteddine remain on schedule.

Elsewhere, in northern Lebanon the port city of Tripoli is home to an old souk and a crusader castle.

But today, it is also the scene of frequent sectarian battles between supporters of opposite sides in Syria's raging conflict -- Sunni Muslims and Alawites, the Shiite offshoot sect to which Assad belongs.

Many Lebanese living abroad are accustomed to crises afflicting their home country but even they have decided to stay away this summer, fearing they may become trapped.

"Nobody in his right mind would go to Lebanon right now," said Elvira Hawwa, a Lebanese living in Madrid who generally visits relatives every year.

"I won't come this year, and I've also advised my children against going," she said.

U.S.-based Leila agreed.

"The country is going down the drain," she told AFP by phone from Michigan.

"I was planning on going in June, but I cancelled. We didn't want to go through the hell we suffered during the civil war," she said of the conflict that scourged Lebanon from 1975 to 1990.

"Before you could escape through Syria. Now, we'd be trapped."

Tourism Minister Abboud said 200 weddings that had been planned for the summer have been cancelled.

"This means a $100-million (77-million-euro) loss," he said.

The restaurant and nightclub businesses have been hit hard, suffering a 50 percent drop in sales since 2013 began, their union said.

Fashion brands have all started their sales early this year, with some slashing prices by as much as 90 percent.

The tourism industry is now looking elsewhere to drum up business, and travellers from Iraq, Jordan and Egypt have begun to arrive.

"They aren't as worried by the violence," Abboud said.

Comments 19
Thumb Lebanon4life 29 June 2013, 08:40

Our problem is that we don't feel as Lebanese but instead as Sunnis , Shias , Maronites , Druze ...... and this makes us vulnerable. To be honest nobody should cary arms in lebanon instead the Army. If we can't live together so let it be partition. Maybe this would be the best way !!

Thumb music66 30 June 2013, 02:53

but that would be sad cause i love the beauty of the mix that makes Lebanon

Thumb mobious125 29 June 2013, 09:32

The Lebanese people only have themselves to blame. You worship your political figures that only want power for themselves, and who will spill your blood and hide behind the excuse of 'resistance'or 'fighting terrorism', you all know this but still follow them like sheep. You don't even see yourselves as Lebanese first and that is the first sigh of a failed country. You are more interested in other countries than your own and blame there misfortune when things go wrong in Lebanon. You are all to blame, not Syria, not Israel, but you. Convict all those politicians from both sides for treason, get the educated youth back from overseas to wipe the , slate clean and form a new government with fresh ideas. Sometimes I feel you are proud to let your country go to hell. Enough Lebanon, time to be one people and not the lap dogs you all are.

Default-user-icon AL (Guest) 29 June 2013, 09:59

Spot on mobious125..if only half of the people in lebanon can realize it. Unfortunately, all they are good for is complaining and yet follow the same figures that got them in this mess in the first place.

Default-user-icon AL (Guest) 29 June 2013, 10:00

Spot on mobious125..if only half of the people in lebanon can realize it. Unfortunately, all they are good for is complaining and yet follow the same figures that got them in this mess in the first place.

Missing --karim_m1 29 June 2013, 10:33

Is Assir and the February 14 terrorists' "yom ghadab" thugs happy?

Thumb Elemental 29 June 2013, 11:36

Don't know, don't care, how about the Revolutionary guard? Both groups are to blame.

Thumb Elemental 29 June 2013, 12:14

On the contrary ;) don't go assuming yet again FT.

Thumb Elemental 29 June 2013, 10:55

When I returned to Lebanon I made myself a promise: Never to follow a specific polititian but to look at the overall picture. Sure I've got friends and family who affiliate with different groups for their own reasons, claiming there's is what's best for Lebanon, but look at the end result? When I would be asked what I thought of what this person or that person said, my response was simple: I came to Lebanon because I love this country, not the politics and religious side of it. When the people focus on Lebanon alone and not from outside influences from different countries? It can be heaven on earth, it can be a place of coexistence, but so long as you have external influences manipulating the country and portraying to the rest of the world that this is nothing but armed wings and tire burnings, yeah good luck. Maybe it's time to let go of this game of power and blaming one another, true Lebanese will come out and imposters will be exposed.

Missing helicopter 01 July 2013, 00:45

Agree 100%, thanks for sharing.

Thumb benzona 29 June 2013, 15:04

Always generalizing.... It's more like 80/20.... Not sure you are familiar with the Pareto law.

20 percent of the people cause 80 percent of the troubles.

Missing mohammad.abdulhay 29 June 2013, 15:50

The problem is our constitution its all wrong.
It is almost impossible to not have a civil war where the constitution doesn't allow a person to be a prime minister because of he believes a different form of fairy tales than the constitution allows.
people should be appointed based on accomplishments and achievements not based on what fairy tale they believe in.
You only need to look at Berri he is the most incompetent person I have ever seen in my life

Default-user-icon Norma (Guest) 29 June 2013, 16:23

I do not think it's about Syria's war. It's about the political and the military interference of Lebanese and non-Lebanese armed gangsters in all others' wars upon sects and under hundreds of non-Lebanon slogans.

Thumb Lebanon4life 29 June 2013, 17:47

Guys do u think that it is possible to start a lebanese revolution !! A revolution not related to any religion not related to any of our useless political parties . A purely lebanese Revolution with the aim to get rid of all our politicans and parties who get their orders from other countries. A revolution with the aim to fortify the lebanese national feeling , to disarm every armed party without exception . To get rid of our stupid mentality and to declare Lebanon a neutral state !!! Furthermore we need a strong army with about 120.000 soldiers well equipped and ready to fight anyone harming Lebanon. Guys I beg please start thinking as lebanese . No to radicals from any Side yes for a Free and strong lebanon. And for sure free of so much refugees !!

Missing helicopter 01 July 2013, 00:49

I would love to see such a revolution. It takes lots of personal sacrifices including lives....... because the dark forces are well armed and their finger is always on the trigger ready to squeeze.

Missing peace 29 June 2013, 23:16

thank you HA!!!!

Default-user-icon frequentguesttolebanon (Guest) 29 June 2013, 23:33

Bostros-you are the first person who has made any sense at all.I frequent your beautiful country over 5years.First,it was the famous tourist landmarks that drew me there,then the love the people showed me reqardless of differences in religion and gender.What is happening in Syria,I witnessed in Egypt,Tunisia,Libya,and even Syria 6years ago, can only be solved from within. Now Lebanon is definitely involved because staying 'neutral' is impossible because of so much strife between the many religious power grabbers who DO control arms,military,families.That's my stance. In order for Lebanon and Syria to rise up again, it has to be from within and with solid leaders, young and old.I'm a FEMALE, retired teacher,and I DO know how a class has to be run for learning to take place,And,for a country to function, there is NO difference. Thank you for your post.

Missing helicopter 01 July 2013, 00:44

The word terrorists go with Asir and Hezb, not Asir and M-14.

Missing helicopter 01 July 2013, 00:46

Very true.