[In June 21, Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud said that the number of visitors to Lebanon has increased by 26.6 percent compared to this time last year, the National News Agency (NNA) reported on Wednesday. [Source]
Since then, we haven’t heard any updates on the number of tourists in Lebanon and to be honest, i think the numbers are going down and drastically. I’ve been going around and i barely see tourists or cars with Arab plates that used to fill the streets. There’s still traffic and all, but much much less than last summer.
Yesterday i was in Gemmayze around 11:30 pm and the street was barely crowded and few bars were filled. Either everyone is going to Skybar or something’s not working this year.
Having said all that, i find it hard to believe we are gonna set another record tourism season in 2010.
Well Ramadan is starting in a couple of days ( an earlier date than last year) so that might be the reason. Most of them probably left already or are just staying indoors preparing for it.(Speaking of Arab tourists of course)
Yeah, Ramadan is on the 10th I think so everyone is going back to their country of origin before the start. Ramadan period is actually low season for travel and thats how I managed to get my tickets for next week very cheap. So tourist season in Lebanon peaked already.
Oh well, maybe it is Ramadan. I am not really complaining anyway about the lack of tourists, much less traffic and crowded places.
I also read somewhere that the “perceived” threat of war and increasing electric power cuts may also have played a part in reducing the number of tourists
And that explains why my driving experience in Beirut last month wasn’t so bad!
nzelet 3al gemmayze? lashou te7ke
Well think about it..you had the death of Fadlallah..the Gaza Flotilla..the border clashes..the threat of war..and now Ramadan..no wonder this hasn’t been a record breaking year! I’m still trying my best to get someone from home to come and visit! It has been such a mission! No one wants to take the risk..