A cedar in Bsharri surrounded by snow. (Credit: Matthieu Karam)
BEIRUT — The Tourism Ministry insisted on Thursday that prices at ski resorts in Lebanon are set in Lebanese lira, denying rumors about some resorts pricing their services in US dollars.
Here’s what we know:
• In a statement, the ministry said that "the prices in ski resorts in Lebanon are set in local currency. Anyone wishing to do this sport is therefore called upon to pay in Lebanese pounds.”
• The statement also denied "rumors circulating about permits granted to certain ski resorts to fix their prices in dollars."
• Many businesses now demand an exclusive payment in dollars due to an unprecedented depreciation of the Lebanese pound. The local currency traded Thursday morning at more than 27,000 against the dollar, having lost more than 90% of its value since the start of the crisis in 2019.
• The Tourism Ministry also reminded of the need to "take preventive measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus after the large increase in the number of daily infections and deaths.”
• The ministry’s statement comes during a holiday season experiencing relatively high tourism, as many decide to spend the festive period in Lebanon and its mountains.
• Last year, the Tourism Ministry decided to close ski resorts amid a rapid spread of Covid-19 in the country.
• On Wednesday, Health Minister Firass Abiad called on citizens to be cautious in order to limit their risk of infection as the Omicron variant of the virus continues its “spread” phase. For his part, Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi warned that the application of preventive measures would henceforth be controlled in a "much more strict"