Tourism

Expats in Lebanon: Celebrating Togetherness Amid Economic Strain

“Expats, I adore you! I was so happy to see you again and spend time together, especially after the summer of 2024, when war was raging between Israel and Hezbollah and we were overwhelmed by bad news and constant bombardment,” says Kareen, whom we met in downtown Beirut. Still, she adds a note of frustration. “It was really ...

Caminos Lebanon: When Pilgrimage Routes Drive Economic Revival

The idea is bold: stimulate the economy by banking on pilgrimages. That is the goal of Caminos Lebanon, a sustainable religious tourism initiative backed by the Association for Pilgrimages in Lebanon (APL) and led by expert Nour Farra Haddad. The ambition is to turn Lebanon into a key destination for faith-based travel. But this goes far beyond ...

The Country Is Full and So Is Mom’s Sofa

At first glance, everything points to a booming summer season: the diaspora is back in large numbers, the airport is stretched to its limits with nearly 100 flights a day, and the highways resemble a Lebanese remake of the Paris ring road. But behind the scenes, the tourism picture tells a different story. Hotels are struggling, occupancy rates ...

For Visitors from Abroad: Don’t Bother Trying to Make Sense of Lebanon!

For everyone planning to spend their vacation in Lebanon, here is your survival guide to a country where nothing works, yet somehow everything does. First of all, getting to Lebanon is no small feat. Plane tickets cost so much, you might as well be booking a business-class trip to Mars. Let’s say you sold your house in France or Canada and ...

Record Year for UK Music Tourism Driven by Global Stars

Music tourism contributed a record £10 billion ($13.8 billion) to the UK economy last year as fans flocked to live shows by Taylor Swift and other big acts, industry data from UK Music revealed Tuesday. "Charli XCX, Bruce Springsteen, Sam Fender and Dua Lipa helped lure a record 23.5 million music tourists to concerts and festivals," UK Music ...

Travel Agencies Hit Hard, as Lebanese Cancel Trips Abroad

The disruption or cancellation of Beirut-bound regular flights, which had stranded hundreds of Lebanese in Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh resort due to the escalating confrontation between Iran and Israel, discouraged many from taking summer breaks outside Lebanon. Travel agencies are bracing for significant losses with the increasing number of ...

Lebanon’s Tourism: The Endless Summer That Fails to Deliver

Since June 13, the travel sector in the Middle East has faced severe turbulence following clashes between Iran and Israel. And as always, Lebanon — true to its role as the region’s perennial bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time — ends up paying the price, once again caught in the center of the storm. “The sector has suffered ...

Beirut Airport Sees Record Passenger Traffic in May 2025

Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport (BIA) recorded a major uptick in passenger traffic in May 2025, posting its highest numbers for the month since 2019. Nearly 300,000 travelers arrived in Lebanon, reflecting a significant rebound in international travel and renewed momentum ahead of the summer holiday season. In total, 560,050 passengers ...

Ministries Partner to Revolutionize Lebanon's Tourism Through AI

In a strategic move to modernize Lebanon’s tourism sector, Minister of State for Technology Affairs and Artificial Intelligence Dr. Kamal Shehadeh and Minister of Tourism Laura Lahoud signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), launching a digital partnership that integrates artificial intelligence (AI) and smart technologies into tourism. This ...

Suitcases Full, Spending Big: Emiratis Rediscover Lebanon

After being away from Lebanon for years, the Emiratis are finally coming back. The lifting of the travel ban – announced on Sunday and taking effect today, Wednesday, May 7, 2025 – has been welcomed by tourism industry professionals, who see it as a potential boost for a struggling sector. Pierre Achkar, the President of the Federation of ...

Sun on the Horizon, Rough Skies Ahead: Summer 2025 Takes Off

As Lebanon gears up for the 2025 summer tourist season, it looks forward to sunny days but remains wary of potential challenges. With the return of expatriates, regional tensions, Israeli ceasefire violations and an economy seeking stability, the Lebanese tourism sector finds itself navigating turbulent waters. Yet, as the saying goes, “After ...