Lebanon hopes UN force can boost tourism
Fascinating to see the little economy that the UNIFIL has created in Lebanon. A total of $120 million a year at least for south Lebanon.
By Yara Bayoumy
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon will lose about $2 billion in tourism revenues this year due to a month-long war but the tourism minister is hoping a 15,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force will help revitalise the industry.
A U.N. resolution that ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah last month called for beefing up UNIFIL, a 2,000-strong U.N. force in south Lebanon, with up to 13,000 extra peacekeepers from various countries.
Tourism Minister Joseph Sarkis is counting on parents, other relatives and friends of the troops to boost visitor numbers.
"We are now preparing a sort of campaign in these countries, to show that Lebanon, the country where their children have come for a peaceful mission, is also a beautiful country, it has an image that is not only war and destruction," he told Reuters.
Sarkis, who said he expects around $10 million a month in revenues from UNIFIL soldiers' personal expenditure in southern Lebanon, was already receiving requests for license permits to open restaurants, clubs and coffee shops in the area.
"When they have their leave, they go to enjoy a glass of beer or lunch or dinner," Sarkis said, adding that the figure did not include army expenditure on rent or fuel.
Sarkis had been expecting $4 billion in revenues from tourists' expenditure and investment in tourism projects but said "we will probably lose around $2 billion because of ... war in Lebanon".
Sarkis said he had been expecting over 1.6 million tourists to visit Lebanon this year and on the eve of July 12, around 730,000 tourists had already come to the country.
But Hizbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12 sparked a war in which Israeli air strikes caused $3.6 billion in damage to bricks and mortar. It came at the height of Lebanon's summer tourist season.
"The tourists came and on the 12th of July, they received bombs on their heads and they were obliged to escape in a very humiliating way," he said.
Sarkis said he expected 300,000-350,000 tourists in the four months to December, providing stability continues and improves.
In 2005, tourism was hit by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and other high-profile political killings. With arrivals to Lebanon 24 percent higher in the first half of 2006 than even in 2004, Lebanese foresaw a major recovery but the war made it impossible.
"I would say the main thing that has been damaged is confidence in the country. I say it's easier to rebuild a bridge than to rebuild confidence in a country," Sarkis said. "Tourism needs stability, if there is no stability there is no tourism."
But seasonal festivities, including the Eid al-Fitr Muslim feast in late October, should help the recovery, he said.
Forty percent of tourists to Lebanon are Arabs and Sarkis said "many hotels, travel agencies and car rentals are informing us they've started receiving bookings from now for the Eid period which shows it's a good thing".
By Yara Bayoumy
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon will lose about $2 billion in tourism revenues this year due to a month-long war but the tourism minister is hoping a 15,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force will help revitalise the industry.
A U.N. resolution that ended 34 days of fighting between Israel and Hizbollah last month called for beefing up UNIFIL, a 2,000-strong U.N. force in south Lebanon, with up to 13,000 extra peacekeepers from various countries.
Tourism Minister Joseph Sarkis is counting on parents, other relatives and friends of the troops to boost visitor numbers.
"We are now preparing a sort of campaign in these countries, to show that Lebanon, the country where their children have come for a peaceful mission, is also a beautiful country, it has an image that is not only war and destruction," he told Reuters.
Sarkis, who said he expects around $10 million a month in revenues from UNIFIL soldiers' personal expenditure in southern Lebanon, was already receiving requests for license permits to open restaurants, clubs and coffee shops in the area.
"When they have their leave, they go to enjoy a glass of beer or lunch or dinner," Sarkis said, adding that the figure did not include army expenditure on rent or fuel.
Sarkis had been expecting $4 billion in revenues from tourists' expenditure and investment in tourism projects but said "we will probably lose around $2 billion because of ... war in Lebanon".
Sarkis said he had been expecting over 1.6 million tourists to visit Lebanon this year and on the eve of July 12, around 730,000 tourists had already come to the country.
But Hizbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12 sparked a war in which Israeli air strikes caused $3.6 billion in damage to bricks and mortar. It came at the height of Lebanon's summer tourist season.
"The tourists came and on the 12th of July, they received bombs on their heads and they were obliged to escape in a very humiliating way," he said.
Sarkis said he expected 300,000-350,000 tourists in the four months to December, providing stability continues and improves.
In 2005, tourism was hit by the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and other high-profile political killings. With arrivals to Lebanon 24 percent higher in the first half of 2006 than even in 2004, Lebanese foresaw a major recovery but the war made it impossible.
"I would say the main thing that has been damaged is confidence in the country. I say it's easier to rebuild a bridge than to rebuild confidence in a country," Sarkis said. "Tourism needs stability, if there is no stability there is no tourism."
But seasonal festivities, including the Eid al-Fitr Muslim feast in late October, should help the recovery, he said.
Forty percent of tourists to Lebanon are Arabs and Sarkis said "many hotels, travel agencies and car rentals are informing us they've started receiving bookings from now for the Eid period which shows it's a good thing".
posted by beirutlive at 12:30 PM
11 Comments:
I really think, mrtez, it would be a good idea to hire Israel's ad company to put Lebanon on as part of the "ultimate mission" tour. That is, when those tourists have seen the Hamas "terrorist" trial and have had the IDF briefing and jeep ride, then they could tour Beirut and southern lebanon to see how well their tax dollars and donations have been spent. See, for instance, how many buildings per bomb were destroyed and how many cluster bombs it takes to kill, say, 100 people. That way they'd know why so many more have to be bough.
And, of course, Lebanon could have its own campaign along the lines of, "THAT is not the 'ultimate mission' - don't spend your time in a dusty courtroom or a bumpy jeep ride - come see the actual buildings that were blown up and the graves of the kids that were killed. See an actual Hizbollah house that no longer exists."
A real ad company could do much better, of course.
by whom? I wasn't aware Israel had stopped. By the way, applying the Israeli logic, would it be "wrong" for Hizbollah to assassinate the chiefs of the IDF and IAF?
Unfortunately, Mr Wrath, I agree - not completely - but to a large degree. I do not condemn nor fear "Islamics" because I don't think it's Islam that's behind the coming violence. I blame the fools on both sides for creating the situation and letting it spiral out of control.
It has nothing to do with God or Mohammed or any other diety - "religion" is simply a catchword that's convenient. On one side are a lot of crazy people who have no hope being led by crazy people who enjoy wielding poswer. On the other are fearful people being led by crazy people who enjoy wielding power.
On the one side, there is no pretense about "winning" - all that has to be done to be successful is to prevent the other side from "winning" while keeping it afraid, spending a huge fortune and dollars and untold lives. And, by the way, destroying its democratic institutions from the inside.
On the other side, there is enormous pressure to "win" while having no real idea what that means - other than killing every "Islamic - Fascist."
What it comes down to is a kind of sport - at least for the "terrorists." In the US, the way out of the ghetto used to be through the gym and into pro boxing. Now the fantasy is to become an NFL or ABA star. In the Muslim world, the way out of the ghetto is to become a "martyr." So, lots of impressionable kids sign up and are more than willing to blow themselves up for an "ideal" that they themselves probably don't understand. What they DO know is they are heroes who have answered the call by their people - same as American soldiers.
Until Israel and the US recognize the fundamental facts of the matter - that hopeless people will do apparently crazy things in the hope of something better - we are doomed to continue the "holy wars" forever.
MW, HCB...
I am an agnostic as well, so you can appreciate my alarm over growing Christian fanaticism even in our own country. One thing being highlighted right now is the "Jesus Camp" where children are being trained to be holy warriors for Christ. It is truly frightening, and absolutely no better than Muslims who do the same thing. I think it's only a matter of time until we start seeing some of these people bombing building (ala Timothy McVeigh) or strapping a bomb onto themselves and taking one for the team.
Hmmm... I wonder if Sam would volunteer...
What's wrong, Sammy? Did my response to you hit too close to home?
Sammy, go back a couple of threads ("Patrolling the Sea")...let's hear your brilliant response to my posting.
Great words... too bad he hitched his wagon to Dubya's ponies...
You see the trouble with being kind, Rick. For so many years I felt sorry for the homeless - especially the homeless pigs who eke out a living renting themselves to the homeless boars. And then, when the pig is pregnant, it goes to the dumpster to spawn something like the idiot child we have to put up with here. Mother's milk is polluted with all the garbage eaten for so long so it doesn't matter the idiot child simply slurps from the bottom of the dumpster. The idiot pig child's brain doesn't develop and the cycle repeats itself.
Now we can see why homeless women ought to be sterilized - we could cut down on the idiot spawn like our idiot child. It might not be the kindest thing to do but it would certainly reduce the load on the rest of the world. And, idiot children would not be faced with the responsibility of growing up.
Not much going on in the "war" now. I hope all is well with you and yours.
Oh - forgot to mention, idiot pig child, I know how much you enjoy writing something that makes no sense and then sitting back while you drool and wait for a response. Like I said before, I'll respond or mention you when it feels good to me. I very much enjoy watching you scurry around trying to bait responses with your imagined insults. Especially when you get frantic and start writing three or four or five times in rapid succession. It's fun watching what the rotted cabbage and sour mother's milk did to your little birth brain. You learned to suck and drool and parrot what you think are insults. Now - idiot pig child - see what you can say. See if you can string five or six words together to make a sentence. And then, for a real challenge, see if you can do TWO sentences that relate to each other.
Sam, do pray that we never meet. Any allegations about myself and my children is beneath contempt and decency, and would not go unresponded to. But imagine such disgust coming from you. Par for the course.
HCB...hope you are well also. Not much with the war, but lots with the US on the path to becoming a facist nation. This Administration continues to stoop lower and lower each day, kinda like Sammy.
Bryan, that has little to do with child molestation comments. Sam is sick, very sick.
And yes, he does support Bush. He has posted that plenty of times. There are plenty of followers just like Sam in the country, which is the only reason why weak people like Bush, Cheney and Rummy even hold power. And none of them can even see that we are now in danger of becoming a dictatorship, as elections are stolen, freedoms are lost, and rights are violated.
And I hope it will be solved this year in 2006... with clean elections the Republicans lose Congress, and an impeachment will be the next step. This entire Administration is completely corrupt.
Ah Bryan...the earlier conversation... gotcha. Yes, I think you are right, but I think he was just so eager to appear to be a strong ally to the United States that he didn't realize who he was dealing with. By the time he did, it was too late.
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