Beiteddine Festivals’ Committee and Shouf Cedar Reserve launched their “Shouf Summer Season 2019” in collaboration with various local entities, such as the Shouf Traders Association, the Industrialists Association in Shouf, local municipalities, federations, and NGOs, as well as the cultural and sports clubs of the region.
The launching event took place at the Mir Amin Palace in Beiteddine under the patronage of Minister of Tourism Avidis Kidanian and in the presence of the president of the Beiteddine Festival Committee, Mrs. Nora Jumblatt, as well as MP Bilal Abdullah, MP Farid Bustani, Dalia Jumblatt, Secretary-General of the Progressive Socialist Party Zafer Nasser, and many others personalities and organizers.
In her words, Mrs. Nora Jumblatt considered that “The Shouf region witnessed a tourist revolution translated by the high number of guest houses and camping sites, restaurants and small hotels, all of which has made the Shouf the first destination for eco-tourism in Lebanon and the region where there are many local festivals held in all villages.”
Speaking of the Beiteddine Art Festival, which is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, she said, “It has come as an act of faith in Lebanon’s cultural and civilizational role. It is now an international festival that receives 30,000 people every summer, and it is contributing to placing Lebanon on the global cultural map as well as its internal role in the development of the region.”
She also stressed that development in the Shouf is a sustainable one that improves the lives of its people while preserving natural resources.”We have a promising summer ahead of us,” she said. “So we are all moving away from small group accounts and dedicating our joint efforts to further development in Shouf in order to serve its people first and foremost.”
From his side, Minister of Tourism Avidis Kidanian praised the launching of this event by saying, “Mrs. Noura’s initiative is excellent for launching the summer of 2019 from Shouf to all of Lebanon. I pledge to spread the culture of love, hospitality, and progress in dealing with the Lebanese and the tourists, and this year we will break tourism records in Lebanon, both in terms of arrivals and income.”
MP Kidanian added, “I have dealt with politics through tourism. My goal is to always develop and improve, and I hope to spread this initiative to different regions because our country does not lack anything […].”
In this regard, and at the end of the event, the Shouf Cedar Reserve distributed a booklet on the importance of the region for its distinctive and diverse landscapes, its people and their hospitality, its Mir Amine Palace in Beitedddine, and the quality of its food and services, especially in the guesthouses, which have been become very popular recently.
