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As summer draws to a close, it’s time for a recap. Early results of the current summer season have been quite encouraging. It appears that summer 2023 was nothing short of extraordinary, with impressive performances that demonstrate Lebanon’s ability to once again capture the hearts of expatriates and tourists. Additionally, the post-summer season is shaping up to be equally promising!
The performance of the tourism sector from June to early September has been exceptional. The rebound has been truly impressive, with a notable increase in visitors. Lebanon has seen a continuous influx of expatriate vacationers, but what truly set this summer apart was the return of international clientele. Indeed, the summer of 2023 was marked by a tourist boom. The presence of European, Jordanian, Egyptian, and Iraqi tourists increased significantly, especially in August.
Preliminary reports suggest that the revenue generated by this influx of visitors is estimated to be around 3.8 billion dollars. For the sake of comparison, this figure was 3.5 billion for the summer of 2022 and just 1.2 billion in 2021.
38% of Tourists
Jean Abboud, President of the Travel Agencies Owners’ Syndicate, echoed this sentiment and described the season as “excellent.” He confirmed, “The number of passengers increased by 31% for the summer of 2023 (June, July, August) compared to 2022.”
Abboud added, “From June 1st to September 10th, approximately 2 million passengers arrived at Beirut International Airport (BIA), including 38% who were tourists from Arab, European, and other countries.” He also estimated that the number of tourists (excluding expatriates) will reach 2 million people from January to December 2023 (including the holidays).
Similarly, restaurant owners confirmed Abboud’s statements, with their syndicate indicating that establishments were consistently fully booked throughout the season, generating exceptional revenues. While these figures surpassed pre-2019 crisis levels, they still fell short of those seen in 2008-2009. Nevertheless, the syndicate noted that costs and expenses have significantly increased due to global inflation and the high cost of electricity in Lebanon.
As for hotels, Pierre Achkar, President of the Federation of the Tourism and Hoteliers Syndicates, also considered the season “satisfactory.” Thus, occupancy rates for hotels in the capital were good, and those outside of Beirut were even better. However, he believes that figures, for now, are somewhat unreliable, with hotels operating at 25%, 30%, or 40% capacity depending on the regions and establishments.
He pointed out that traditional hotels are no longer as popular since expatriates and tourists prefer guesthouses and other charming boutique hotels. The occupancy rate for traditional hotels is on the decline, with the trend leaning towards small, picturesque establishments in the style of Relais & Châteaux and guesthouses. Additionally, Airbnb has claimed a significant share of the market.
He then emphasized that the syndicate is calling for the regulation of this sector and for it to be subject to taxes, just like hotels.
As for guesthouses, they too experienced a surge in popularity, consistently being fully booked throughout the season.
In conclusion, summer 2023 was an exceptional season for Lebanon, with a strong presence of both domestic and international visitors. These results highlight the resilience of the Lebanese tourism industry and its ability to attract visitors despite the many challenges it faces.
