Now, the battle to win back tourists

Lebanon is a country that packs a powerful punch where the old world meets the new.  Dating back to 5000BC, it’s full of culture and traditions from Phoenician sarcophagi to Roman and Islamic ruins, crusader castles, ancient architecture, stunning valleys, olive groves, vineyards, cedar forests, glorious beaches, mountain ski-resorts, and ultra-cool roof-top bars.

And these are just a handful of Lebanon’s delights.

Like many countries in the Middle East, Lebanon has evidence of the darker sides, too.  Turbulent times are still very much on display. Some 15 years of civil war saw massive destruction to the country, and then just as it was starting to settle back again it received another battering with the resurgence of hostilities with Israel – the most recent being a massive attack on Lebanon in 2006. 

While the country is getting back on track to being a pearl of the Middle East again, tourists are always advised to check the latest information before travelling. But, as Nada Sardouk, director general for the Ministry of Tourism, explained, these wars were never aimed at tourists.

“Despite previous instabilities, we are safe country,” she said. “Previous conflicts were actually localised and were never aimed at tourists anyway. We are a small, harmonious and friendly country. We have tight security and safety now and we are just as safe as anywhere else in the world. In fact, our criminal statistics are very low. We are also very a liberal country. We have19 different religions and we all live well together.”

Since 2006 Lebanon has been rebuilding itself and its tourism industry is making a steady climb up the ladder again. Visitor numbers reached 1.8 million in 2009 and, so far, it’s seen almost a million visitors in 2010.

“We expect these figures to keep increasing,” said Sardouk. “Why wouldn’t they?

Lebanon is a diverse country with a diverse landscape. We have a different civilisation; we are a Holy land.  There are historical cities and sites, deep forests and snow capped mountains. We basically have four seasons here all year round. We have ski resorts that are almost as good as in Switzerland, but if you’re more a beach fan we also have lovely beaches by the Mediterranean Sea. We also have a burgeoning ecotourism offering.”

Lebanon is home to some of the most ancient cities in the world.

It is the historical home of the Phoenicians, Semitic traders whose maritime culture blossomed there for more than 2,000 years. Later, Lebanon’s mountains were a refuge for Christians and crusaders established several strongholds there.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, the five Ottoman provinces that had comprised present-day Lebanon were mandated to France by the League of Nations. The country gained independence from France in 1943. Today its official languages remain Arabic and French.

“Our ancient cities still have ruins standing,” said Sardouk. “Baalbek has to be one of the most famous cities in the world. It is a temple complex located atop a high point in the beautiful Bekaa valley. Its ruins are one of the most extraordinary and important Holy places of ancient times. Long before the Romans conquered the site and built their huge temple of Jupiter, there stood the largest stone block construction ever found in the world.

“You can easily spend an entire day exploring the ancient city’s huge temple columns and intricate stonework. It’s wonderful to stay at the ruins until dusk and see the sun come down over the temples.”

Visitors are offered guided tours offering great insight into both Roman history and Lebanese culture.

Baalbek, also known as Heliopolis or ‘Sun City’, was revered by the Greeks as being home to the Sun God. Today it is famous for its lively summer festival in July and August.

Another historic city is Byblos, located about 37km north of Beirut. “Byblos is the oldest inhabited town and harbour in the world. It comes from the Bible,” explains Sardouk. “It was a powerful city-state with its own kings long before the Romans and the Greeks. Today visitors can see the castle built by the crusaders in the 12^th and 13^th centuries, as well as the Phoenician Royal Necropolis, where King Ahiram’s sarcophagus shows the oldest alphabetic inscriptions in the world. The town’s harbour is simply stunning and has some great restaurants surrounding it.

“Byblos was a favourite destination with many film stars back in the 50s, when it was a ‘cool’ place to visit. Marlon Brando was one of its great fans.”

Tripoli – Trablous in Arabic – is Lebanon ’s second-largest city and the north’s main port. It’s well known for its medieval Mamluk architecture, its huge fortress and its old city souq, thought to be the best in the country.

Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, is an exciting, fun and chic city. Its streets still bear a striking resemblance to those in St Tropez, with palm trees, lines of cafes and bars.

It’s a cosmopolitan city with around two million people. It has beautiful colonial relics, mosques and churches, golden beaches, and is home to some of the best bars in the world. Along its beautiful corniche you’ll find the old and the young walking, joggers and people rollerblading. You will see women with veils walking next to women in tiny shorts.

All cultures co-exist together in harmony, which is a striking contrast to just a few miles along in the Green Mile area. Here you don’t have to look hard to see scars from the war. You can still see many a building peppered with bullet holes, a dark reminder of the city’s past as it is slowly being rebuilt.

“Beirut is back on track to being a sophisticated tourist city hotspot while still keeping its traditional roots,” said Sardouk. “It boasts great culture and a fabulous party life. We have wonderful restaurants, famous roof-top bars, cabaret theatre, shows, dancing, music and even gambling at the Casino Du Liban. It is once again being known as Paris of the Middle East.”

Although, during the war, many hotels saw mass destruction, new hotels have been built. These include chain-style hotels such as the luxurious Mövenpick resort, the Four Seasons and the Intercontinental Hotel.

“We have new hotels, resorts and mixed-use developments starting to appear all over Lebanon now and key organisations within the tourism industry are joining forces and working closely to sustain our country’s position as a Middle East business hub and top tourist spot,” said Sardouk.

But the city also still has charming traditional family hotels and boutique hotels that are still very much intact and operating. One of these is the famous Le Bristol Beirut Hotel.

“It was built in 1951 by two brothers,” said Nazira El Atrache, general manager of the hotel. “Its first general manager was Georges Rayess, well known for his books on culinary art. With that he guided the hotel to become the most famous in the country.

“This was always a destination for the locals as well as dignitaries, political figures, members of royalty, artists and chefs, many knowing Le Bristol hotel in France first.”

Visitors included the late Shah and Princess Souraya of Iran, the late King Hussein and Princess Dina of Jordan, Prince Majed, Emir of Mecca, President Chirac, Prince Albert of Monaco, and the former secretary general of the United Nations, Boutros Ghali.

“During the war politicians would come here and they would conduct their meetings on the two floors below ground we have – sort of like bunkers. There they knew they would be safe,” explained El Atrache.

Although today the hotel is a little tired around the edges, it is still elegant and charming, with antique and period furniture, Persian carpets, and European tapestries. It is still a favourite retreat for many leading figures visiting Beirut, as well as tourists.

“Since the war the locals have sustained this hotel. Le Bristol is like a landmark and people identify with this. People who fled the civil war still come back here. They have family in Beirut, their roots are here, and they feel at home at Le Bristol. But, of course, we have many nationalities coming to stay here too.

The hotel reports 76 per cent occupancy in 2010 compared to 64 per cent in 2009. “Lebanon is claiming its place back as a tourist destination. We are receiving more and more tourists. During Ramadan we have mainly Europeans; after that we see more Arabs.  Visitors from the GCC, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, UAE, and Syria, all visit Lebanon,” said El Atrache.

Beirut is teaming with great restaurants. You can enjoy the catch of the day by the banks of the Med, or sit by the famous Pigeons ' Rock (Raouché) and enjoy a hot shwarma. But, if you fancy any other type of cuisine, you can rest assured you will find it in this cosmopolitan city.

It also has another secret ingredient – flourishing vineyards that produce delicious wine. “The government supports the tourism industry as that is our number one source of economy. We don’t have any fuel here, we import all that, although we do have good wine that people should know about,” laughed Sardouk. “The vineyards are in the Bekaa Valley, about an hour-and-a-half from Beirut on the way to Baalbek. People all over the world are discovering our various wines and starting to order them over the Internet. We also have olive groves producing delicious olive oil.”

Lebanon’s latest attractions are its winter sports facilities. Not, perhaps, the most obvious choice for a skiing destination, but the ski centres of Faraya, Mzaar and Cedars are the most popular of six Alpine-style resorts, promising three months of snow a year.

“You can actually ski in the mountains in the morning and sunbathe by the Mediterranean in the afternoon. In how many countries can you do that?” asked Sardouk.

Lebanon is also seeing a different sort of ‘tourist’ visit. Sardouk explained: “We have fantastic medical services. Many people from other Arab countries come to Lebanon for operations. We are also known for plastic surgery, which includes cosmetic surgery and at affordable prices. It’s not just the Arabs that have it but also westerners. Laser-eye surgery is also noted here. Patients then can recuperate in Beirut, a great place to relax.”

Rafic Hariri International is Lebanon’s main airport and can host around six million visitors a year. “Lebanon is also a gateway by land. You can reach Damascus by taxi in just two hours from Beirut and many travellers make this journey,” said Sardouk.

“For the future of tourism, I think Lebanon will soon become one of the most demanded destinations in the world, let alone the Middle East.”