The expatriates who visited Lebanon during the summer months were not satisfied with their time in their homeland and with their loved ones, prompting them to book their tickets early to return home during the holidays to support tourism amidst the worst economic crisis still plaguing Lebanon and its people. "Flights to Lebanon are packed," says Raymond Wahbeh, Secretary General of the Syndicate of Travel and Tourism Offices, in response to a question about bookings for Lebanon in the coming month. In an interview via MTV, he pointed out that "ticket bookings to Lebanon have exceeded expectations. As a result, larger planes have been allocated for the coming month and the number of flights to Lebanon, especially from Gulf countries and Europe, has been increased to accommodate the large number of expatriates returning to spend the holidays with their families." He adds, "From mid-December, we expect a 'rush' of expatriates into Lebanon, and we predict that Beirut Airport will welcome significant numbers, positively impacting domestic tourism."
In a related context, Wahbeh notes that "the percentage of bookings for international trips next month is also high for spending the holidays outside Lebanon, with Istanbul in Turkey being the most popular destination throughout the year, despite the recent explosion which has not affected flights to there. Other popular destinations include Paris and several European countries, as well as Dubai." He emphasizes that "what we will witness during the holiday period is a continuation of the excellent tourism season seen in summer 2022, thanks to expatriates who have not been affected by the circumstances in Lebanon. Additionally, the incident of random gunfire targeting a Middle East Airlines plane has not altered bookings, though we hope such events do not recur since we do not want our airport's classification to change, and we wish to remain a safe destination for all travelers."
In another context, we asked Wahbeh if there is interest in traveling from Lebanon to Qatar to watch the World Cup matches. He replied, "Unfortunately, bookings have not met expectations, and most travelers to Qatar are Lebanese who will be working there during the World Cup," attributing this to "the very high costs of tickets and hotel bookings, especially amid the living challenges and economic crisis in Lebanon." Despite the politically gloomy and stagnant atmosphere, the skies over Lebanon look entirely different, as the outlook for the coming month promises good, joy, and hope. So, welcome to the influx of expatriates to the holiday capital of the Middle East, Beirut!
