Al-Ashqar attributed this decline to the repercussions of the war, especially the intense bombing that struck Beirut last April. He explained, citing tourism and travel agencies, “More than 50 percent of Lebanese expatriates residing in the United States, Australia, Canada, Brazil, and others have canceled their reservations.”
Al-Ashqar considered that “these data constituted early indicators of the nature of the summer tourist season, which was expected to be very weak,” noting that “the actual tourist season began late on July 15, prompted by the visit of President Joseph Aoun to the United States, and the accompanying indications of an American interest in the Lebanese issue, which encouraged a section of expatriates to come to Lebanon, but this push came late in relation to the tourist season as a whole.”
He pointed out that “the tourist season, which usually begins in May, practically ends in late August, given that the majority of expatriates return to their countries of residence in preparation for the start of the school year in early September. He said: “Expats usually leave Lebanon during the period between August 15 and 25, while schools in Lebanon also begin to open their doors in September, which puts an early end to the summer season.”
Al-Ashqar considered that “this reality differs from most countries, as the summer and beach season continues until the end of September, and sometimes until October, while the tourist season in Lebanon practically ends with the start of the school year.”
Al-Ashqar expressed his hope that “the situation in Lebanon will improve, and that the Christmas and New Year seasons will be much better, which will contribute to compensating for part of the losses and improving the conditions of tourism institutions and their workers.”
