The restaurants and cafés in the coastal city of Byblos experienced a bustling weekend last week, coinciding with religious occasions (First Communion among Christian denominations), family celebrations (weddings and engagement parties), and school events (end-of-year celebrations for final-grade students). This led to massive reservations in restaurants, allowing patrons to enjoy a lively atmosphere, with hosts spending substantial amounts of money to provide the best for their guests. There is no need to remind about the nightlife spots that attract a steady crowd who frequent specific places year-round, as reported by the Kuwaiti newspaper "Al-Anbaa".
The crowded restaurant scenes align with the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism's slogan for this year: "We're Going On a Journey," following two years dominated by the slogan from Fairuz's song, which welcomed the season ("Hello, this appearance" in the first year and "Hello" in the second year). The Ministry of Tourism, along with those working in the tourism sector—an essential part of the Lebanese economy—recognizes that the aim of this campaign is to encourage Lebanese people abroad to visit their homeland during the summer.
The same encouragement applies to residents, motivating them to engage in domestic tourism, which allows them to discover beautiful places and stay in higher-quality guest houses. Prices in these guest houses start at no less than $150 for accommodation with breakfast only, particularly in regions like Ehden (Zgharta District) when considering transportation, dinner expenses, and coffee or light drinks in the afternoon. According to a woman who chose to spend a short family vacation for two days, including one night in a guest house in the famous Miden square in Ehden.
On his part, George Jamal (a Lebanese holding an American passport and residing in California) makes it a point to visit Beirut annually to see friends, noting that customs in America differ, with spontaneous gatherings on Fridays being less common. "I have been consistently visiting since the early 1990s. I came after military operations ceased following the July 2006 war and faced long wait times at gas stations two years ago during Lebanon's fuel crisis. I will be visiting soon," he said to "Al-Anbaa" from his residence in the United States.
The south and villages in the Nabatieh District, the apple region, and those near the town of Khiam and border towns adjacent to occupied Palestine are absent from this year's tourist map. Nevertheless, some residents of these villages have opened guest houses and prepared them for investment, following the significant demand in this sector in Lebanon. However, the conditions in the southern regions, particularly around Baalbek, have dampened people's desire to visit those areas.
In travel and tourism offices, discussions center around a significant number of Lebanese looking to spend short vacations in Europe and Turkey, with a notable decrease in those traveling to Egypt due to high temperatures in Cairo and Upper Egypt along the Nile.
According to Izzah, an employee at a well-known travel and tourism service company, there is high demand for countries with beach resorts, especially Greece. Customers are keen on traveling to Santorini and Mykonos, despite the latter's higher costs for tickets and accommodations. Perhaps Paris hosting the Olympic Games and the rise in prices there have made other European countries more attractive to Lebanese and Arab tourists.
The difference lies between spending a few days traveling and enjoying an entire summer in Lebanon for residents, considering expenses and discovering beautiful places in the country. In any case, there is a greater hope for those living abroad, who visit during their annual vacations to see family and have a less costly experience compared to what they would spend in European cities.
A little security, a lot of economic tourism activity. Perhaps this is the appropriate slogan for summer in Lebanon 2024, according to "Al-Anbaa."
