Lebanon’s tourism unions have requested permission for hotels to receive room rental fees in Lebanese pounds instead of U.S. dollars for Lebanese people.
Jean Beiruti, Secretary-General of the Tourism Unions’ Federations, told Al-Joumhouria on Wednesday that what’s being said about hotel prices in Lebanon being expensive is false.
“In fact, the prices are in the ground, in contrast to the rental prices of chalets, which have increased due to the high demand for them,” he said.
A delegation of the tourism unions had met on Tuesday with caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab in the presence of caretaker Tourism and Social Affairs Minister Ramzi Moucharafieh, to discuss the state of the tourism sector.
“During our meeting with Diab, we requested that hotels be allowed to charge room rentals in the national currency for Lebanese, and in dollars for non-Lebanese,” Beiruti explained, adding that this would effectively create 2 separate prices in hotels for locals and tourists.
Beiruti noted that the dollar will not be calculated on the basis of 1,500 Lebanese pounds per U.S. dollar. “The room that was priced at 200 dollars in the past has decreased today to 40 dollars, but we receive it from the foreigner in fresh money.”
This request comes in line with the ongoing efforts to revive the tourism sector – one of Lebanon’s most vital sources of revenue – with the approach of summer and the anticipated tourism season.
