Tony Ramy, President of the Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafes, Night-Clubs & Pastries in Lebanon, published a press release on Tuesday, in which he explains the situation in the restaurant sector following the security escalations and the risk of a full-scale war. This analysis is based on a numerical comparison between July 2023 and July 2024.
The analysis showed a 31% drop in tourism-related activities for Batroun, 30% for Broummana, 40% for Dbayeh and Naccache, 23% for the city center, 34% for Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhael, 54% for Tripoli, 24% for Tyre and a 3% increase for Ehden.
In other words, total losses amount to around 30% and could approach 75% in August.
Rami lamented that the tourism scene was “delicate” and required good crisis management within institutions to maintain their sustainability and preserve their employees. “With our economy already faltering, we have entered the war against our will and nobody cares about our fate,” he raged.
He pointed out that the restaurant and nightlife sector grew by 15.3% in 2024 compared with 2023, and that the number of restaurants rose from 722 in 2023 to 810 in 2024 in 11 major tourist areas in Beirut. The sector as a whole, throughout Lebanon, recorded growth of 12%.