Al Jazeera Net correspondents
2/6/2024–|Last updated: 6/2/202410:42 PM (Mecca time)
South Lebanon- As the summer season approaches, fears are rising in southern Lebanon about the impact of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the tourism sector. Owners of tourism establishments, including hotels, restaurants and guest houses, fear that their season will be depressed after it regained some momentum last summer after years of stagnation as a result of the stifling economic crisis.
The ongoing Israeli aggression on several areas in southern Lebanon casts a heavy shadow on the expectations of the tourist season for this year 2024, seriously threatening to return the sector to a state of stagnation and cut off the livelihoods of the owners of tourism establishments, after Israel expanded the scope of its attacks to include areas other than those facing the border.
Non-existent reality
In this context, the head of the Lebanese Federation of Tourism Syndicates, Ali Tabaja, expects that the tourism situation in the south, especially in the border areas, will be “non-existent” this year due to the aggression. He explained to Al Jazeera Net, “All residents were forcibly displaced due to its location on the contact lines with the Israeli enemy.”
He points out that the occupancy rate in the southern areas adjacent to the border strip will not exceed 20% to 30% if the aggression continues. The tourism sector in Lebanon in general will be greatly affected, based on their follow-up with tourism unions in Beirut, Mount Lebanon and other Lebanese regions.
Tabaja adds that tourist reservations have not recorded large numbers so far, and stressed that the reliance this year will be greater on Lebanese expatriates, at a rate ranging between 90% to 95%, as they are considered the backbone of this sector.
Repercussions of aggression
Regarding the number of tourist establishments, Tabaja explained that the Syndicate of Restaurants and Tourist Institutions in the southern regions includes about 500 to 600 restaurants, between medium and large, and in the border region there are 150 restaurants, all of which are closed. He pointed out that some tourist establishments in the surrounding areas are open, while others are closed.
As for the hotels in the southern region, their number does not exceed 50 to 60 hotels. He stressed that the guest houses that were active in recent years and provided great support to the Lebanese economy and the tourism sector are all closed now, especially those close to the border strip, and will be negatively affected this year by approximately 90%.
The ongoing crisis as a result of the Israeli aggression has dealt a major blow to the tourist resorts sector, which is considered a mainstay of the southern economy. Many resorts have closed their doors in the areas of Naqoura, Marjayoun, and Hasbaya, while the sector in Tire and Nabatieh is witnessing a recession, with the hope that holidays and events will compensate for some of the operational losses.
Losing the season
Mahmoud Mahdi, owner of the “Rive de la Mer” tourism establishment located in Naqoura, says, “The establishment includes hotel, restaurant, swimming pool, and chalet services.” He added to Al Jazeera Net: “The damage began in 2020 and has worsened every year more than before, starting with the Corona pandemic, then the economic crisis, and now the painful events affecting our people in southern Lebanon and Palestine.”
Mahdi points out that the swimming pool was targeted and they sustained material damage. He added, “We were betting that this war would not continue for a long time, but we are now in the eighth month and events and confrontations are continuing.”
Mahdi continues: “If the war ends tomorrow, I do not think we will be able to open the institutions immediately. We need time for maintenance and repairing the damage we have sustained, and we will need additional time to restore things to normal, and once we finish that, the summer season will be over for this year.”
The situation of Muhammad Abboud, the owner of a guest house in Wadi Al-Hajir, located in Jabal Amel between the districts of Marjayoun, Bint Jbeil and Nabatieh in the south, is no better than Mahdi. He told Al Jazeera Net, “We were working and things were good, but 8 months ago, with the start of the war, we were greatly affected and we closed.” “We did not receive any visitors due to the danger of the area and the bombing of Wadi Al-Hujair.”
He added: “Compared to last year, there was heavy demand and active movement, as we were renting the house for $150 during the week and $200 on the weekend.” It is estimated that his losses have reached $40,000 so far.
Challenge and confrontation
For his part, Ali Shukr, owner of the “Sahar” restaurant, which is about 50 kilometers from the northern tip of the Upper Galilee, told Al Jazeera Net: “We were directly affected, as if we were on the border. We were forced to close the restaurant for 5 continuous months to avoid endangering our lives and the lives of others.”
He continued his speech by saying, “I had 24 employees who stopped working. On the last Eid al-Fitr, we decided to reopen the restaurant in the hope that conditions would improve. The biggest challenge we face today is the uncertainty of the future of this war, but we are determined not to close again.”
Shukr confirms that compared to the same period last year, the current situation is very bad and incomparable at all. Last season was excellent, as it witnessed a large turnout of pioneers and many celebrations, events and weddings, but today stagnation prevails and people are afraid of the development of the military situation. Everything is postponed until further notice to stop the aggression.”
