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The summer wraps up with Lebanon at the center of attention. As the new school year looms, tourism professionals are reflecting on the summer of 2024. The season has been notably catastrophic, falling far below expectations.
Catastrophic, terrible, mediocre, or not too bad, tourism professionals are delivering an initial assessment of the unusual summer 2024 season, overshadowed by the war at the doorstep! After the exceptional summer of 2023, this season has been markedly uneven, largely due to the security and psychological upheavals of the Gaza war extending into Lebanon. Experiences have varied widely, with some regions and establishments reporting average results while others declare catastrophic ones. However, all tourism stakeholders agree on the detrimental impact of the conflict’s escalation at the end of July, which overshadowed a strong start to the month.
The President of the Travel Agency Owners’ Union, Jean Abboud, describes the season as “catastrophic,” with a 72% year-over-year decline. He highlights that from early July to July 28, Beirut was welcoming between 14,000 and 15,000 travelers daily, and 85 flights were serving the capital. Abboud argues that if the season had continued at this rate, it could have equaled the success of 2023.
As of July 28, 11 airlines suspended their services to Lebanon. In response to the situation, Lebanese expatriates on vacation and some residents either cut their stays short or departed the country out of concern. This drop in flight availability, combined with increasing demand, has led to a significant rise in airfare prices. Abboud reports that only 65 flights are currently arriving in Beirut. While some airlines have resumed operations to the Lebanese capital, they have reduced the number of daily flights.
Pierre Achkar, the President of the Federation of Tourism and Hotel Owners’ Unions, echoes this sentiment, describing the hotel sector as having a catastrophic season with a 60% drop in occupancy rates compared to 2023. He notes that many hotels are now partially closing to reduce costs. For instance, a hotel with 100 rooms may only open 40. Achkar fears that if the war continues, the Christmas season may also be bad.
Khaled Naha, Vice President of the Restaurant Owners’ Union, informs This is Beirut that activity in restaurants, bars, beaches, and nightclubs has decreased by around 40% compared to 2023. This decline is particularly striking given the initial expectations for a summer as promising and exceptional as the previous year. These forecasts had spurred increased investments in bakeries, nightclubs, and restaurants across various regions of the country.
Thousands of new hires were made in the sector, which was fully ready to welcome tourists. While conditions were relatively good until the end of July, bombings, Israeli threats, embassy evacuation warnings, and flight cancellations triggered widespread panic and severely disrupted the season. Naha notes that the sector is facing significant challenges, especially with high water and electricity costs. Despite these difficulties, he remains hopeful for the end-of-year holiday season.
Ramzi Salman, President of the Union of Guesthouse Owners, reports a 25% decline in July and a 50% drop in August compared to the same months last year (2023). Regarding the off-season, he hopes for at least “a slight improvement” in the situation.
It is important to note that Lebanon’s tourism sector accounted for 30% of the GDP in 2023, with revenues totaling $5.4 billion. Unfortunately, these figures are unlikely to be reached this year. Revenue from visitor traffic was about $3.8 billion in summer 2023 and $3.5 billion in summer 2022, compared to $1.2 billion in 2021.
Summer 2024 has not been a banner season for tourism professionals. However, it’s important to remain optimistic, as pleasant weather persists and hopes for peace continue. These factors could lead to a strong off-season and a promising Christmas season ahead!
