With strong momentum, Lebanon has entered the summer tourist season, which all forecasts indicate will be promising and prosperous, restoring some of the lost luster to the relevant sectors and uplifting the spirits of the Lebanese, even if just morally. The activity has been evident in all tourist sites, and those who were able to go out on the weekend noticed the high turnout at restaurants, hotels, and nightlife spots, to the point that one might believe they were in Lebanon in the 1990s, when it was at the peak of its prosperity and brilliance, as if there were no electricity cuts, no missing bread, no crises, and no inflation.
This is not surprising, as it reflects the Lebanese spirit, which loves life and freedom, dismissing all political conspiracies and attempts to tarnish Lebanon’s image or scare tourists and expats from coming. The reality is revealed by Tony Rami, president of the Association of Restaurant Owners, Cafés, Nightclubs, and Patisseries, who told "Al-Markazia" that "the operating rate in the restaurant sector reached 100 percent during the Eid al-Adha holiday and 90 percent in various regions, indicating that Lebanon has returned to the global tourist map and that the infernal flames cannot overpower the tourism sector, which has been bolstered by the return of expatriates and tourists from various nationalities." He emphasizes that "restaurants welcome all their patrons, including expatriates, tourists, and resident Lebanese, and display their prices at the entrance, which cater to different budgets."
He highlights that "high operating costs burden restaurant owners who insist on resilience and continuity, maintaining quality and service standards." Rami considers this summer to be "fiery," asserting that the tourism sector is currently mobilized to serve its clients, who believe Lebanon is one of the most important tourist destinations, despite what it has experienced over the past two years, and that domestic tourism is thriving thanks to expatriates.
