Despite the soaring ticket prices, Lebanon is already observing signs of a good tourism season — at least better than last year’s disastrous one.
As the country welcomes summer, a month it relies on for its touristic value, restaurants, hotels, and chalets are recording large numbers of customers, both foreign and Lebanese (residents and visiting expats).
The estimated 30%-40% increase in ticket prices to Lebanon and other touristic destinations in the region has not stopped the influx of tourists and expats.
One reason for this is the fact that Lebanon is currently one of the safest destinations in the region, epidemiologically speaking. For instance, Lebanon registered less than 100 new infections on Monday after a steady decline observed over the previous weeks.
The drop in daily coronavirus (COVID-19) cases recently prompted Lebanese authorities to ease travel restrictions and lift other local restrictions, including allowing dine-in at restaurants, all of which encourage tourism.
Owners of travel agencies in Lebanon have expressed satisfaction with the numbers they are recording.
Mohammad Fakih, the owner of Concord Travel, recently told Sawt Beirut International that the demand for travel tickets has been “very good.”
He noted that despite the unprecedented conditions Lebanon is going through, reservations have already reached 20% of the traffic observed in 2019, which was considered a year of booming tourism for the country.
This is already a significant step up from the traffic of last year when, for instance, Lebanon recorded its lowest number of inbound tourists during the holiday season in years, in what was described as “the biggest blow in the history of tourism in Lebanon.”
The improvement comes in a critical time when Lebanon is in desperate need of fresh foreign currency for its ailing economy, and provides some optimism in the face of the prevailing dismal scene.
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