War Has Destroyed Tourism... But There Is Great Hope for Christmas!

Barack al-Ashqar, president of the Union of Tourism Unions and head of the Hotel Owners' Association, revealed that tourism sector revenues in Lebanon this year are approaching 50 percent of those recorded last year, meaning losses this year far exceed those incurred last year.

Al-Ashqar attributed this decline to the consequences of the war, particularly the intense bombardment targeting Beirut in April.

He explained, citing travel agencies, that over 50 percent of Lebanese expatriates residing in the United States, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and other countries canceled their bookings.

He stated these figures represent "early indicators of the nature of the summer tourist season, which was expected to be extremely weak."

He noted that the actual tourist season began late on July 15, driven by President Joseph Aoun's visit to the United States and the accompanying signals of renewed American interest in the Lebanese file, which encouraged some expatriates to come to Lebanon—though this influx arrived too late for the overall tourist season.

Al-Ashqar pointed out that the tourist season, which typically starts in May, effectively ends by late August, as most expatriates return to their home countries in preparation for the start of the school year in early September.

He said expatriates "usually leave Lebanon between August 15 and 25," while schools in Lebanon also reopen in September, "bringing an early end to the summer season."

He emphasized that this situation differs from most countries, where the summer season and beach visits continue until the end of September, sometimes even into October, whereas in Lebanon, the tourist season effectively concludes with the start of the academic year.

Al-Ashqar expressed hope that conditions in Lebanon will improve, and that the Christmas and New Year seasons will be "significantly better," helping to offset part of the losses and improve the situation for tourism institutions and workers.