An Israeli strike on the southern suburbs of Beirut, March 28, 2025. (Credit: Mohammad Yassin/L'Orient-Le Jour)
BEIRUT — Following head of the Tourist Guides Syndicate Jean-Claude Hawat's claim that tourists postponed their flights to Lebanon following Friday's Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Jean Abboud, president of the Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon (ATTAL), told L’Orient Today on Monday that there has been no significant change in reservations so far.
On Friday at midday, four months after a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect, Israel carried out an airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs — the first since the truce began. The escalation followed the firing of two rockets toward northern Israel earlier that day, one of which fell short and landed in Lebanese territory. The strike came just two days before Eid al-Fitr, a period that typically sees an influx of foreign and Arab tourists, as well as expatriates.
In a radio interview with Voice of Lebanon on Monday, Hawat said the Israeli strike had led to the postponement of a significant number of European and Arab bookings to Lebanon. He stressed the need for stability in the security and political landscape to revitalize the country’s tourism sector.
Abboud told L’Orient Today that while the association is closely monitoring the situation, there has been no substantial impact on reservations so far.
Pierre Ashkar, president of the Federation for Tourism Syndicates in Lebanon, told Voice of Lebanon that the Lebanese government must implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and “lift the tourism embargo currently imposed on Lebanon regionally and internationally.” He described war as “the biggest enemy” of the country’s hospitality sector, warning that ongoing conflict hinders the growth and prosperity of hotels and restaurants.
Ashkar also said he had submitted a letter to the prime minister’s office urging the reintegration of Lebanon into the Arab and international tourism market and advocating for the reopening of Rene Mouawad Airport in the north for low-cost flights.
Despite Friday’s strike, most airlines have not canceled or rescheduled flights to Beirut's international airport. Emirates has even maintained its plan to add an additional daily flight between Dubai and Beirut starting Tuesday.
