Pierre Achkar, President of the Union of Tourist Syndicates and the National Tourism Council, announced in a statement on Thursday that "unfortunately, the holiday season that Lebanese people and the tourism sector in Lebanon have been awaiting has become a thing of the past." He pointed out that "all tourism institutions are currently waiting for the Spring and Summer of 2024, hoping that the war in Gaza and the tensions on the southern Lebanese border have come to an end."
He emphasized that "as long as there are skirmishes on the Lebanese border and as long as the war in Gaza has not definitively ended, no one will visit Lebanon. Lebanese expatriates fear that if they visit Lebanon, Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut may be closed, and traveling through Syria or by sea is impossible, meaning they won't be able to leave Lebanon."
Achkar revealed that "the communications he made with tourism institution owners showed that preparations for the holiday season are very modest," adding that "like most Lebanese, they believe that the humanitarian situation and the sad atmosphere from the killing of children and women and destruction are not conducive to creating an atmosphere of joy." He also disclosed that many events that were previously scheduled have been canceled.
He stressed that "the holiday season, which lasts ten days from December 22 to January 2, is important for the tourism sector and Lebanon, but it is not as significant as other tourist seasons that extend for three months or 40 days." He noted that "the negative atmosphere is not just in Lebanon, but widespread across the region, making it difficult to revive the season."
He stated, "Jordanian tourists cannot travel to Lebanon and are suffering from bad conditions due to the war in Gaza, while Egyptian tourists are suffering from the decline of their national currency, and today, with the war in Gaza, their situation has worsened." Achkar pointed out that "all developments and diplomatic and military experts confirm that the war will not end soon, putting the tourism sector in a significant predicament."
