The Ain al-Mreisseh neighborhood, where several large hotels in Beirut are located, June 11, 2025. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros)
Following the announcement of a truce between Israel and Iran, the president of the hotel union, Pierre Achkar, said Tuesday that "the effective success of the cease-fire could pave the way for a quick recovery of the tourism sector," during an interview with Leb Economy.
However, he highlighted that it was still too early to assess the consequences of this development, stating that "the situation remains in an observation phase, as it is possible that this agreement may be violated," while also adding that "the situation could, in general, be better than before."
Achkar said during his interview that tourists who already booked their trips to Lebanon or made prior decisions on this matter "will not immediately change their plans, but will wait for the picture, especially regarding security, to be fully clarified," while adding that "the coincidence between the announcement of the cease-fire and the targeting of a vehicle [by the Israeli army] inside Lebanese territory casts a negative shadow on the overall image."
Shortly after the announcement of the cease-fire, an Israeli drone indeed fired two missiles at a car in the Kfar Dajjal region in the Nabatieh district, according to L'Orient Today's correspondent in the region, killing at least three people: a father and his two sons.
On Friday, the president of the economic bodies, Mohammad Shouqair, stated that Lebanon could still save the summer season if the regional war came to a quick stop.
The day after the conflict began, Achkar said that "the expectations are no longer at all what they were a week or ten days ago," while the summer season promised to be "a celebration" in Lebanon.
