Hotel booking activity outside Beirut is almost nonexistent, not exceeding 5% at most; some hotel establishments may attract more clients than others, but overall we are talking about an occupancy rate touching only 5%. As for Beirut hotels, they record booking activity ranging between 30% and 60%.
More than 90% of them have homes in Lebanon to stay in during the holiday, especially since among those arriving in the holiday season are men whose families reside in Lebanon for schooling in Lebanese schools, because school fees abroad are very high and they cannot afford them.
Those coming to Lebanon during the holiday period are the ones with purchasing power to stimulate markets. Whether they carry many or few dollars, they will inevitably stimulate domestic markets because they are heading to Lebanon for vacation and to spend the holiday period, but within a limited time not exceeding two weeks at most, given that by January 3 all of them will have left Lebanon.
"Wars are the first enemy of tourism"
Tourism officials in Lebanon said flights to Lebanon from London, Paris, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Madrid and Athens are fully booked for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Head of …
The head of the Tourism Unions Federation and the Hotels Owners Syndicate, Pierre Ashkar, warned of a decline in revenues of most hotels in Lebanon by about 40% and a similar drop …