Al Markazia claims the number of arrivals this summer to Lebanon might exceed two million, and that occupancies at hotels will exceed 90%.
Last summer, the tourism ministry claimed they brought in billions of dollars to the economy thanks to their campaign but at what cost? How will these billions help revive the economy when we still don’t have a president, a government, 24/7 electricity, a reliable internet, decent roads, traffic lights and the list goes on and on …
How are these billions going to compensate for the deposits we all lost in Lebanese banks? Or for the exorbitant debts accumulated by corrupt governments and parliaments? Why is the Central Bank still draining his reserves if we’re bringing in so much money? Where’s all that money going?
I’m sure many are going back home to help their families and show support to local businesses, but we shouldn’t be too happy about a short-lived summer period while everything is falling apart around us. We need a sustainable plan to promote tourism in Lebanon, especially in rural areas, one that takes into consideration that various challenges the country is going through and ensures we can keep on delivering the same quality of service.
And before all that, the tourism ministry needs a new slogan for their future campaigns.