Listen to the article
Summer tourism is a winning bet for Lebanon, which has relied on this sector to mitigate, as far as possible, the impact of the political, economic, and financial crises. The figures have all soared, and industry professionals are not hiding their satisfaction.
Lebanon’s 2023 summer tourism season is off to a flying start. The numbers have soared, and industry professionals are very satisfied. The revenue generated by this major influx of visitors has exceeded expectations and predictions.
Lebanon welcomed over one and a half million tourists this summer and is forecasting profits of over 3.5 billion dollars for the season. Given the size of the expected revenues, the tourism sector is expected to account for around 38% of GDP this year.
70% occupancy rate in hotels
The President of the Federation of Tourist Unions and the Hoteliers’ Union, Pierre Achkar, assured This is Beirut that “the occupancy rate of hotels in Beirut and outside the capital in July was 70%, a significant year-on-year increase.” Achkar expressed his satisfaction and insisted that “this figure is excellent,” given the situation in Lebanon. He also noted that occupancy rates in hotels and guesthouses are higher on weekends.
Indeed, the majority of tourists are Lebanese expatriates who own their apartments, which explains why they frequent hotels and guesthouses on weekends (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) to discover new regions. During this period, these establishments boasted a higher occupancy rate, approaching 100%. Achkar also pointed out that Airbnb rentals make up a large share of the market.
Commenting on the warnings issued by Arab countries to their nationals in Lebanon, Achkar noted that the advice given to Gulf nationals to leave Lebanon had had no effect on hotel or guesthouse bookings “since Arab tourists hadn’t even come to Lebanon this summer.”
Restaurants, cafés, beaches, and nightclubs are also fully booked almost every lunchtime and evening, with endless waiting lists.
Similarly, flights to Lebanon have been packed since July 1, Jean Abboud, president of the travel agency owners’ union, told Ici Beyrouth. “The national aviation company, MEA, has added flights and inaugurated new routes,” he said.
Air traffic at Beirut International Airport increased significantly in July. A total of 924,000 passengers flew in and out of the airport, compared with 823,907 in July 2022, an increase of 12.15% year-on-year. The number of arrivals in Lebanon rose by 8.79% to 504,026 passengers.
