It’s only natural The launch of the national rural tourism strategy in February 2015 by then Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Minister of Tourism Michel Pharaon marked an important milestone in the ongoing efforts of local economic actors to develop alternative and sustainable forms of tourism. It constituted a clear sign of the Lebanese government’s political recognition of…… Read More
C’est la (mer)de For those who cannot afford beach club or resort entry fees, public beaches are the only option to enjoy the sun and sand in Lebanon. Unfortunately, the majority of these spaces are unmanaged and unsupervised. As a result, you can see people swimming and fishing amongst floating trash. While it is certainly a horrid sight—which…… Read More
Slice of heaven Nothing feels better than spending a day or two, a month, or even an entire summer right on the coastal shore of the sparkling waters of the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of life’s priceless pleasures, but for Lebanon’s beach resorts and clubs, it is not just the weather that is heating up—competition and rivalry…… Read More
Cocktails with a sea view Dalia Farran, owner of Sour’s beach bar restaurant Cloud 59, observes that wherever there is a body of water—be it the small village well, a river, or the sea—people gather around it for social activities: “Water brings life to the area,” she muses. This is certainly true for Lebanon’s coast, which is dotted with almost…… Read More
A sea of garbage As Lebanon’s summer season gets underway—off to a sleepy start thanks to Ramadan and atypical June weather—local media reports suggesting a drastic decline in the cleanliness of the country’s coastal waters have tempered the country’s beach mania. Michel Afram, the director-general of the Lebanese Agricultural Research Institute (LARI), issued a warning in June that Lebanon…… Read More
The people’s beaches The French Riviera, Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and the shores of Greece’s Mykonos all have something in common: the existence of luxury private beach resorts and glitzy beach clubs alongside pristine and well-managed public beaches that are free for all. The presence of proper public beaches in a country is a significant contributor to its appeal…… Read More
The livin’ is easy? A quick online search for ‘Lebanon in the 1960s’ reveals dozens of photographs celebrating Mediterranean leisure. Some show people lazing on the sand in what appears to be a public beach, others are of smiling women water skiing with a backdrop of the glittering sea and an equally glittering resort, and others still are of…… Read More
A good summer? The celebration of Eid el-Fitr on June 16 marked the beginning of summer 2018 in Lebanon. As the season kicks off, all those in the tourism industry are speculating over whether it will be as good a season as summer 2017, or whether tourism will take a turn back to the bleak summer days of…… Read More