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TOURISM

The tourists who see the crisis through the 'bubble' of the privileged

Their average budget for a stay is now 500 to 1,000 euros for a busy program: relaxation, nightlife, discovery of cities and sites, gastronomy …

The tourists who see the crisis through the 'bubble' of the privileged

Tourists enjoy a beach resort. (Credit:PHB)

Leila*, a young Frenchwoman of 24, landed in Lebanon on Monday evening with a few Lebanese notes left over from a previous trip in her purse. "I have LL50,000. According to Google, that's $33," she says from the back of the car. Her friends, who had picked her up from the airport, burst out laughing. "That's not even $2," says Lena*, who has been living in Lebanon for two years. Leila plans to spend her week's vacation at her home. On the first day of her holiday, Leila went to a resort in Jiyeh for a lazy day, Lebanese style. "I feel like I'm in the villa of the broken hearts [a French reality show where the candidates spend their time in a heavenly villa after a breakup]," Leila comments, with a touch of judgment as she walks through the door. Cottages available for rent and palm trees line one of the gigantic pools of the complex,...
Leila*, a young Frenchwoman of 24, landed in Lebanon on Monday evening with a few Lebanese notes left over from a previous trip in her purse. "I have LL50,000. According to Google, that's $33," she says from the back of the car. Her friends, who had picked her up from the airport, burst out laughing. "That's not even $2," says Lena*, who has been living in Lebanon for two years. Leila plans to spend her week's vacation at her home. On the first day of her holiday, Leila went to a resort in Jiyeh for a lazy day, Lebanese style. "I feel like I'm in the villa of the broken hearts [a French reality show where the candidates spend their time in a heavenly villa after a breakup]," Leila comments, with a touch of judgment as she walks through the door. Cottages available for rent and palm trees line one of the gigantic pools of the complex,...