The President of the Federation of Tourist Unions and the Hoteliers’ Union, Pierre Achkar, revealed on Monday that Lebanon saw a significant influx of Qatari and Kuwaiti tourists during the Fitr vacation.
He explained that Iraqi, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Syrian tourists were the main visitors in the past. But this year, Qataris and Kuwaitis have clearly become the most numerous visitors to the Land of the Cedars.
Achkar also highlighted the large influx of Lebanese from the diaspora, especially from Arab countries, Africa, and parts of Europe. Indeed, the extended vacation period in many Arab countries offered expatriates the opportunity to return home.
He also mentioned that, although the blows to Beirut's southern suburbs just before the holiday caused a wave of cancellations, hotels in downtown Beirut and secure areas recorded very satisfactory booking rates of between 70 and 80%. On the other hand, hotels near the southern suburbs or the airport saw lower occupancy rates. Meanwhile, those outside the capital, which are usually very busy at this time of year, saw no noticeable tourist movement.
Finally, Achkar expressed hope that the rise in the number of Qatari and Kuwaiti tourists could pave the way for lifting the entry ban on Saudi and Emirati tourists, which would strengthen the Lebanese tourism sector, given their strong affinity with the country.
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