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This report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID). The content of this report is the sole responsibility of the Agriculture and Rural
Empowerment (ARE) Activity and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. Government.
LEBANON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
EMPOWERMENT (ARE) ACTIVITY
SECTOR ANALYSIS
Ecotourism, Agro-tourism, Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | i
LEBANON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
EMPOWERMENT (ARE) ACTIVITY
SECTOR ANALYSIS
Ecotourism, Agro-tourism, Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
Program Title: Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity
Sponsoring USAID Office: <<<>>>
Contract Number: <<<>>>
Contractor: Chemonics Beirut SARL
Date of Publication: March 2021
Author: Lebanon ARE project team
Cover photo courtesy: Rami Rizk
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 2
CONTENTS
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
I. INTRODUCTION 6
I.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND 6
I.2 OBJECTIVE 6
I.3 METHODOLOGY 6
II. TOURISM SECTOR OVERVIEW 7
II.1 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO THE GDP 7
II.2 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYMENT 8
II.3 MARKET DYNAMICS 8
II.3.1 International market 8
II.3.2 Domestic market 10
II.3.2 Competitiveness 11
III. RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM 12
III.1 VALUE CHAIN, TYPOLOGY AND MARKET SEGMENTATION 12
III.1.1 The tourism value chain 12
III.1.2 Tourism market segmentation 14
III.2 LEBANON’S RURAL AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE 15
III.3 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM EVOLUTION 17
III.4 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS 21
III.4.1 Travel organization and booking 21
III.4.2 Transportation 23
III.4.3 Accommodation 24
III.4.4 Food and beverage 27
III.4.5 Excursions and tours 28
III.4.6 Support institutions 29
III.5 INSTITUTIONAL AND DONORS SUPPORT 34
III.5.1 Policies and strategies 34
III.5.2 Donors assistance 37
III.6 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM TYPOLOGY AND ANALYSIS 38
III.6.1 Rural and nature-based tourism types 38
III.6.2 Ecotourism 39
III.6.3 Adventure tourism 54
III.6.4 Agro-tourism 60
III.6.5 Gastronomy and wine tourism 63
III.6.6 Local and regional destinations 68
IV. CHALLENGES, CONSTRAINTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND AREAS OF
INTERVENTION 70
IV.1 RURAL ACCOMODATION AND F&B SERVICES 70
Challenges and opportunities 70
Proposed intervention areas 71
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 3
IV.2 ATTRACTIONS, DESTINATIONS AND PRODUCTS 72
Challenges and opportunities 72
Proposed intervention areas 72
IV.3 ECOTOURISM 73
Challenges and opportunities 73
Proposed intervention areas 74
IV.4 ADVENTURE TOURISM 74
Challenges and opportunities 74
Proposed intervention areas 75
IV.5 AGRO-TOURISM 75
Challenges and opportunities 75
Proposed intervention areas 75
IV.6 GASTRONOMY AND WINE TOURISM 76
Challenges and opportunities 76
Proposed intervention areas 76
IV.7 MARKETING AND PROMOTION 77
Challenges and opportunities 77
Proposed intervention areas 77
IV.8 BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIROMENT 78
Challenges and opportunities 78
Proposed intervention areas 78
IV.9 PRIORITIZATION OF INTERVENTIONS 79
IV.10 GLOBAL TOURISM TRENDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COVID-19
ADAPTATION AND RECOVERY 80
ANNEX 1: LIST OF INTERVIEWED STAKEHOLDERS 82
ANNEX 2: MUNICIPALITIES AND UNIONS OF MUNICIPALITIES
ACTIVE IN RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
AND PROMOTION 83
ANNEX 3: PROTECTED TOURISTIC SITES BY DECISION OF THE
MINISTRY OF TOURISM 84
ANNEX 4: SITES OF NATURAL AND/OR ECOLOGICAL
IMPORTANCE IN NEED FOR PROTECTION IN LEBANON 85
ANNEX 5: LEBANESE WINERIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 86
BIBLIOGRPAHY 87
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 4
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ADR Association du Développement Rural
ATTAL Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon
BALADI Building Alliance for Local Advancement, Development & Investment
BRHIA Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate
CAS Central Administration of Statistics
CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction
CMF Cedar Mountain Foundation
DMO Destination Management Organization
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council
EY Ernst and Young
F&B Food and Beverage
FBOs Faith-Based Organizations
FHF Food Heritage Foundation
FTL Fair Trade Lebanon
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
GDP Gross Domestic Product
IDAL Investment Development Authority of Lebanon
INVV Institut National de la Vigne et du Vin
LebHOA Lebanese Hotel Association
LED Lebanon Enterprise Development
LCA Lebanese Climbing Association
LDE Lebanon Diaspora Energy
LIVCD Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development
LMT Lebanon Mountain Trail
LMTA Lebanon Mountain Trail Association
LRI Lebanon Reforestation Initiative
LTE Lebanon Tourism Energy
MEA Middle East Airlines
MICE Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions
MOT Ministry of Tourism
MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise
NGOs Non-governmental organizations
NTC National Tourism Council
OTAs Online Travel Agencies
PFA Partnership Framework Agreement
RevPAR Revenue Per Available Room
RMF René Moawad Foundation
SME Small and Medium Enterprise
TIF Trade and Investment Facilitation
UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization
USAID United States Agency for International Development
USEIL Union of Sustainable and Ecotourism Institutions in Lebanon
UVL Union Vinicole du Liban
VFR Visiting Friends and Relatives
WTTC World Travel & Tourism Council
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents findings from a rapid analysis on the current situation of Lebanon’s ecotourism,
adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism sectors. It lays out their
challenges/constraints, and the potential opportunities/interventions for the Lebanon Agriculture and
Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity in order to contribute to the recovery, stabilization, and growth
of these tourism types. The analysis employed desk research and interviews with relevant
stakeholders.
With its rich natural and cultural heritage, Lebanon has a wide variety of touristic attractions and
offers multiple forms of tourism including recreational, cultural, religious, rural, nature-based,
gastronomy and wine. In 2019, Lebanon’s tourism sector generated a total of $10.5 billion – 18% of
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – and employed a direct and indirect workforce of 434,000
employees (19.2% of the total employment).
Hence, the performance of the tourism sector is highly dependent on political stability and security.
The combined crises facing Lebanon since October 2019 — the economic and financial collapse, and
the COVID-19 pandemic — had a severe impact on tourism, resulting in a 77% decrease in
international arrivals in the first five months of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. In
addition to the political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic recession, the major
challenges and constraints hindering tourism development in Lebanon, particularly rural and nature-
based tourism, include:
• Weak value chain integration and stakeholders’ fragmentation
• Absence of specific legal framework
• Absence of categorization, quality control, and certification for niche markets
• Limited skilled labor pool and brain drain
• Absence of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) on the local/regional level
• Lack of data, market information and absence of tourism satellite accounts
• Absence of a national tourism brand and targeted international promotion strategy
Based on the sector value chain and business enabling environmental analysis in this document, a set
of opportunities and areas of intervention were identified to support the recovery, stabilization, and
growth of ecotourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism. They
include:
• Valorize the natural and cultural heritage and development of thematic tourism itineraries and
routes
• Assist/accompany tourism business associations and selected tourism firms in building/improving
their resilience towards crises and shocks (focusing on COVID-19 adaptation and mitigation
measures and financial crisis)
• Link conventional tourism service providers (large scale) to alternative tourism service providers
• Build regional clusters regrouping key tourism service providers and create territorial brands
• Create an innovative and flexible destination brand for Lebanon based on the new global trends
• Invest in digital marketing and promotion and build brand awareness on the tourism e-
marketplace
• Categorize, standardize and certify rural and nature-based tourism services and activities
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 6
I. INTRODUCTION
I.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity aims to develop rural economies in
Lebanon through providing support to the agri-food sector and other industries to unlock local and
export sales’ potential, while also creating jobs and increasing farmers’ and workers’ incomes. The
prioritized agriculture and non-agriculture value chains that ARE targets include: fresh and processed
produce; dairy and fodder; stone fruits; table grapes; wine and arak; ecotourism; agro-tourism; and
gastronomy and wine tourism. The specific objectives of the ARE activity are the following:
1. Increase domestic and export sales
2. Increase access to financial resources
3. Improve the productivity of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
ARE utilizes a facilitative approach based on the theory of market systems development to
incentivize value chain stakeholders in prioritized value chains and sub-sectors to take advantage of
new and emerging opportunities. This aims to increase their potential to grow sales both
internationally and domestically. To implement this approach, ARE identifies through Annual
Program Statements (APS) Champion Firms, which serve as focal points for ARE to address
identified leverage opportunities within supported value chains. ARE co-creates partnerships with
these Champion Firms, resulting in a Partnership Framework Agreement (PFA) that guides the
implementation of joint interventions aiming to unlock opportunities and create the underpinnings
for new growth at the firm, value chain, and sub-sector levels.
As part of this co-creation process, ARE is developing a rural and nature-based tourism sector
analysis with a focus on ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism in consultation
with relevant stakeholders. This aims to identify critical barriers within each sub-sector, potential
solutions, and to outline targeted interventions needed to improve the performance of these sub-
sectors.
I.2 OBJECTIVE
The objective of this report is to assess and analyze the current situation of ecotourism, agro-
tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism in Lebanon, understand the integration of these tourism
types in the tourism value chain and map their key stakeholders, and identify constraints/challenges
and opportunities to be addressed by the ARE activity. The report will also suggest a baseline of
proxy indicators to capture the performance of the concerned tourism types before and after ARE’s
interventions.
I.3 METHODOLOGY
To develop this analysis, the ARE team conducted thorough and in-depth desk research including of
all recent publications, studies, statistics, reports, and articles related to rural tourism with a focus
on ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism. In addition to the secondary review,
the ARE team conducted a participatory appraisal through interviews with 25 organizations and
entities representing key stakeholders and different rural tourism service providers. The interviewed
key informants were asked about the current situation of rural tourism, challenges/constraints,
opportunities of rural tourism in general and prioritized tourism types in particular, and the potential
interventions that might help rural tourism to recover (short term), stabilize (medium term) and
grow (long term), in light of the multiple crises that Lebanon is facing (Annex 1. List of
interviewed stakeholders).
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 7
II. TOURISM SECTOR OVERVIEW
Lebanon’s geographic location on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, its moderate climate,
and its rich cultural and natural heritage have contributed to making the country an important
destination for tourism in the region. The tourism sector has always been an important contributor
to the Lebanese economy, representing a major source of income and employment. Yet, the
performance of the tourism sector is highly dependent on political stability and security in the
country and the region.
II.1 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO THE GDP
Throughout the past fifteen years, tourism in Lebanon has witnessed irregular growth with many
downfall periods. Despite the unstable political and security situation between 2005 and 2009,
tourism contribution to the GDP remained stable with an average of $3.9 billion in terms of direct
contribution and $11 billion in total contribution. In 2010, Lebanon underwent political stability and
security and witnessed a touristic thrive that had never been previously registered in the post-Civil
War period. The direct contribution of tourism to the GDP was estimated at $4.5 billion (12.9%
growth compared to 2009), and its total contribution accounted for $13.2 billion (15.4% growth
compared to 2009). However, this growth did not last. Since 2011, the Lebanese tourism sector has
suffered from a compound crisis that began with the political and security instability as a result of the
Syrian conflict and consequential influx of Syrian refugees, which had a major impact on Lebanon’s
social, political and economic situation. This instability was further exacerbated by the October 2019
social and political unrest, followed by the worst financial and economic downturn in Lebanon’s
modern history. Consequently, the tourism sector registered negative growth at a Compounded
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of -2.8% over the 2010-2019 period. By the end of 2019, the direct
and total contribution of tourism to the GDP were consecutively valued at $3.4 billion (7% of the
total GDP) and $10.5 billion (19.1% of the total GDP) (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1: TOURISM DIRECT AND TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO LEBANON’S GDP
Source: www.wttc.org
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Lebanon’s leisure travel spending
generated 95.5% of the travel and tourism GDP in 2019, amounting to $9.3 billion. As for business
travel spending, it comprised the remaining 4.5% in the same year, amounting to $0.4 billion.
3.9 3.8 3.9 3.9 3.9
4.5 4.13.6 3.4 3.2 3.2 3.2 3.4 3.5 3.4
11.010.5
10.811.1 11.5
13.212.5
11.110.7
10.0 9.9
10.110.6 10.7 10.5
-1.8-3.0
3.8
-0.1
1.1
12.9
-7.2
-13.8
-4.4 -5.2
-…
2.3
6.2
1.9
-1.9
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
20.0
-15.0
-10.0
-5.0
0.0
5.0
10.0
15.0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Tourism total contribution to GDP US$ billion
Tourism direct contribution to GDP US$ billion
Percentage growth of direct contribution to GDP
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 8
The economic recession and tourism decline in Lebanon were aggravated in 2020 by the COVID-19
pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, which destroyed much of the port and
severely damaged the dense residential and commercial areas of the capital within a five kilometer
radius, including many hotels and restaurants, and the vibrant neighborhoods of Gemayzeh and Mar
Mikhael, known for their nightlife. Figures on the tourism contribution to the GDP in 2020 are not
published yet, though the World Bank has estimated a 19.2% decline of the total real GDP in 2020
and projected a further 13.2% decrease in 2021. This projection assumes that COVID-19 effects will
carry through the first quarter of 2021, macro policy responses will continue to be absent, and
reconstruction and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion will remain limited.
II.2 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYMENT
The WTTC estimated that the tourism sector generated 132,000 jobs directly in 2019 (5.8% of total
employment). This includes employment by hotels and restaurants (around 90,000 employees), and
the remaining 42,000 in leisure services, travel agents, airlines, transportation (excluding commuter
services), and other diverse tourism service providers. The total contribution of the tourism sector
to employment, including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income
impacts, was 434,000 jobs in 2019 (19.2% of total employment). There are no official statistics on
tourism employment in 2020, however, the major syndicates of the sector estimate that the
workforce decreased by at least 50% at least. It is still unknown if the loss of jobs is a temporary or
permanent phenomenon. Local media have reported that upwards of 17,000 hotel employees lost
their jobs in 2020, travel agencies are suffering from the currency devaluation crisis, and the food
and beverage (F&B) sector employees are all at risk.
II.3 MARKET DYNAMICS
II.3.1 INTERNATIONAL MARKET
According to the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), the highest number of international tourists’ arrival in
the last 10 years was registered in 2010 with 2.16 million visitors, compared to the lowest number
in 2013 with 1.27 million visitors. On average, Arabs constituted 31% of the total international
tourists and non-Arabs accounted for 69% in the period 2010-2019 (Figure 2).
FIGURE 2: EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS’ ARRIVAL TO LEBANON 2010-2019
Source: Ministry of Tourism, excluding Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians.
0.89
0.580.46 0.40 0.46 0.48 0.52 0.56 0.56 0.57
1.27
1.07
0.900.87
0.891.03
1.161.29
1.40 1.36
2.16
1.65
1.361.27
1.35
1.51
1.68
1.851.96 1.93
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Arab Non-arab Total
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 9
In the first five months of 2019, the number of international visitors was 855,210 compared to
197,465 during the same period in 2020. This 77% decrease in the number of international tourists is
primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on media estimations, the decrease reached nearly
90% by the end of 2020 compared to 2019.
In terms of international market segmentation, Europeans (mainly from France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom) constituted the highest share of international tourists visiting Lebanon, with an
average of 36% of the total number of international tourists for the period 2010-2019. The Arab
market (primarily Iraq and Jordan) is ranked second with 31% of international tourists. Before the
2011 crisis in Syria and the increasing political instability in Lebanon, the Arab market was dominated
by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), specifically Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The share of this market segment decreased from 17% of
international tourist arrivals in 2010 to 7% in 2017. This significant drop is mainly due to travel bans
to Lebanon imposed by GCC governments. This decrease affected the tourism expenditures by
international tourists since GCC visitors have a higher spending level compared to Europeans and
other nationalities. The American market is ranked third with 17% of international arrivals, with
visitors mainly coming from the United States, Canada, and Brazil. It must be noted that arrivals from
South/East Asia and Africa pertain to migrant work more than tourism. Oceania has the lowest
share of international tourist arrivals to Lebanon (Figure 3). In terms of spending, international
visitors (or visitors’ exports) generated 89.7% of the direct travel and tourism GDP in 2019,
amounting to $8.7 billion.
FIGURE 3: DISTRIBUTION OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS BY ORIGIN (2010-2019 AVERAGE)
Source: Ministry of Tourism
Diaspora tourism
International tourist arrivals to Lebanon include Lebanese expatriates and diaspora traveling with
their foreign passports. According to Lebanon Economic Vision, the Lebanese diaspora constitutes
approximately 50% of the total foreign visits to Lebanon. The major countries of origin for the
Lebanese diaspora are the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, the United Kingdom,
Australia, the GCC, and African countries. Assuming that the diaspora does not stay in hotels, it was
estimated that the Lebanese diaspora spent nearly $5 billion on tourism between 2005 and 2015
($0.5 billion per year on average). Diaspora tourism is mainly driven by the need to reconnect with
ancestral homelands, nostalgia, and solidarity with the country of origin. The most classical segment
31%
36%
17%
8%
5%4% Arab countries
European countries
American countries
Asian countries
African countries
Oceania countries
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 10
of diaspora tourism is the Visiting Friends and Relatives type of tourism, or VFR tourism.
Additionally, the Lebanese diaspora is interested in cultural and religious tourism.
II.3.2 DOMESTIC MARKET
Domestic tourism can be described as tourism involving residents1 of one country traveling within
their own country. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a
person must be away from their usual place of residence for at least one night to qualify as a
domestic tourist. In the case of Lebanon, the Lebanese community and foreigners who reside in the
country have been showing a growing interest for domestic tourism since 2010. This trend is
primarily related to the evolution of the nature-based and rural tourism market and the increasing
number of tourism service providers and activities in rural areas.
The WTTC defines domestic travel and tourism spending as “spending within a country by that
country's residents for both business and leisure trips.” Domestic tourism spending is, overall, much
lower than visitor exports, and also fluctuates much less than international tourist spending from
year to year, due to the resilience of domestic tourism ahead of crises. According to the WTTC,
domestic travel spending generated 10.3% of the direct travel and tourism GDP and amounted to $1
billion in 2019. Other than this general estimation for domestic tourism spending, there are no
official statistics for this market in Lebanon. Most of the domestic tourism happens in rural areas
where the majority of tourism services and activities are not governed by a specific legal framework
and belong to the informal economy. However, field observations during the last decade and a few
publications have shown that nature-based tourism (including ecotourism and adventure tourism),
cultural tourism, village-based tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism, and religious tourism are
the main types of domestic tourism market.
On the other hand, the recent financial crisis pertaining to the devaluation of the Lebanese currency
and the COVID-19 pandemic boosted domestic tourism in Lebanon, particularly since the majority
of Lebanese were not able to travel abroad in 2020. A study conducted in June 2020 by researchers
from the Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management analyzed the
Lebanese domestic tourism market dynamics from a demand perspective in light of the economic
crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that 78% of survey respondents traveled
abroad in the period 2018-2019, compared to 52% who are considering traveling abroad in the
period 2020-2021. On the domestic market level, 70% of respondents showed interest in traveling
inside Lebanon in the period 2020-2021. Over three quarters of the respondents (76%) prefer to go
on tourism trips inside Lebanon with their friends, families and relatives. The ideal group size is
between two and five people per trip. The most preferred source of information about the
destination and the services offered on the domestic market are social media and other internet
platforms, followed by word-of-mouth.
Despite the tremendous importance of social media, the majority of domestic tourists (80%) prefer
to book their stays/activities via phone calls. These results shed light on the importance of the
Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) for tourism marketing and destination promotion. Moreover,
they show how important it is for tourism service providers to have a professional and attractive
presence on social media. According to respondents, the top three destinations by Caza were the
Shouf followed by Batroun and Akkar. This could be explained by the fact that these areas represent
a convenient place to practice the top three activities selected by respondents: hiking, sightseeing,
and camping. Furthermore, the push factors (elements that encourage people to take a trip) showed
that the majority of respondents seek to enjoy nature, explore and relax. The pull factors (elements
1 In addition to the original residents of a country, people who move to another country and intend to stay there for more than one year are immediately
considered to be residents of that country.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 11
that attract travelers to a particular destination) are nature, biodiversity, landscape, and sceneries.
Both pull and push factors and the activities are consistent with the choice of these regions.
Concerning the willingness to pay for various tourism services and activities, the results showed that
for a one-day organized tour (including transportation, meals, and activities), there are two major
clusters of respondents for the minimum and maximum willingness to pay, with 36% willing to pay a
minimum of 40,000 Lebanese Pounds (LBP) and 43% willing to pay 90,000 LBP per person for a one-
day organized tour. As for a two-day organized tour (including transportation, accommodation,
meals, and activities), 32% are willing to pay a minimum of 100,000 LBP and 40% are willing to pay a
maximum of 150,000 LBP per person. The majority of the respondents who wish to travel on their
own are willing to pay between 20,000 LBP and 35,000 LBP per person for a meal, and between
60,000 LBP and 90,000 LBP per person for one overnight stay. For the latter, guesthouses and
camping sites are the most preferred types of accommodation (Abou Arrage & Ghadban, 2020).
II.3.2 COMPETITIVENESS
“The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019”2 published by the World Economic Forum
assigned Lebanon a score of 3.4 competitiveness index, qualifying it as such to rank 12th in the region
and 100th in the world, down four positions since 2017. According to the report, Spain topped the
list of covered countries in the T&T competitiveness index for the third consecutive time with a
score of 5.4, earning its leading position due to its exceptional heritage, remarkable natural and
cultural sites, and comprehensive tourism service infrastructure, among other factors. Furthermore,
Europe, with a total of six nations in the top 10 positions, emerged once again as the region with the
most T&T competitive economies and the highest T&T regional average competitiveness level.
France came in second in the world in the 2019 TTCI with a score of 5.4, followed by Germany
(score: 5.4), Japan (score: 5.4), the United States (score: 5.3), and the United Kingdom (score: 5.2).
On a regional basis, the U.A.E. preserved its leading position across countries in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region in the 2019 TTCI, ranking 33rd in the world with a score of 4.4. The
U.A.E. was followed by Qatar (global rank: 51; score: 4.1), Oman (global rank: 58; score: 4.0),
Bahrain (global rank: 64; score: 3.9), and Egypt (global rank: 65; score: 3.9), among other covered
MENA nations. The TTCI is composed of four sub-indexes, namely the “enabling environment”,
“T&T policy and enabling conditions”, “infrastructure”, and “natural and cultural resources”, taking
into account 14 different pillars and 90 individual indicators. Among the 14 pillars, Lebanon
performed best in the prioritization of travel and tourism (global rank: 51; score: 5.0), health and
hygiene (global rank: 61; score: 5.6), price competitiveness (global rank: 68, score: 5.5), and tourist
service infrastructure (global rank: 75; score: 4.0) pillars. On the other hand, Lebanon’s weakest
areas pivoted around natural resources (global rank: 130; score: 2.0), human resources and labor
markets (global rank: 116; score: 3.9), and business environment (global rank: 115; score: 4.0).
From another perspective, Lebanon is facing increasing competition from its regional peers in terms
of competitive product offerings and packages, especially from Cyprus and GCC countries that are
increasingly providing attractive offerings as destinations for families, entertainment, gaming and
nightlife. Moreover, Lebanon is lagging behind in cultural and Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and
Exhibitions (MICE) offerings, especially in light of increasing competition from GCC countries (e.g.,
Abu Dhabi has recently opened Louvre and Guggenheim museums, and the biggest MICE events are
organized in Dubai).
Moreover, the Lebanon Economic Vision report published by McKinsey & Company in 2018 showed
that archeological sites in Lebanon’s neighboring countries attract up to 20 times more tourists on
2 The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report provides a detailed measurement on the Travel & Tourism (T&T) environment in 140 countries around the
globe through the T&T competitiveness index (TTCI). The TTCI assesses “the set of factors and policies that enable the sustainable development of the
Travel & Tourism (T&T) sector, which in turn, contributes to the development and competitiveness of a country”.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 12
average than similar sites in Lebanon such as in Baalbeck and Beit El Dine, which attracted 50,000
and 70,000 visitors in 2017, respectively.
III. RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM
III.1 VALUE CHAIN, TYPOLOGY AND MARKET SEGMENTATION
III.1.1 THE TOURISM VALUE CHAIN
The tourism value chain follows the flow of travelers and tourists from the international and
domestic markets. Travelers and tourists determine the demand and match their needs/preferences
with the available supply and build their product using the wide variety of services and activities.
Thus, the tourism value chain is a complex structure formed of multiple service providers that
together facilitate the total experience for the tourist. Figure 4 illustrates Lebanon’s tourism value
chain structure that includes eight major services and a multitude of categories for each service.
Travel organization, including booking and transportation, provides services for tourists and
travelers regardless of the tourism types they are interested in, whereas leisure and entertainment
services fall under the conventional tourism types. Accommodation, food and beverage, excursions
and tours, and attractions provide services for tourists and travelers depending on their interest, and
the types of experience they are seeking. Some of these services and attractions are specific for the
rural and nature-based tourism types, and they include:
• Accommodation: youth hostels, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, camping sites, bungalows,
eco-lodges, and agro-tourism/farm stays
• Food and beverage: wineries, breweries and distilleries, host tables (tables d’hôtes), and
specialized restaurants related to rural, ecotourism and agro-tourism projects and initiatives
• Excursions and tours: specialized tour operators and eco-tour operators, local guides, hiking
guides, and outdoor sports guides
• Attractions: villages and communities, crafts makers, natural sites, nature reserves, and trails
• Other services: village markets and craft shops
The tourism value chain analysis in this report focuses on the service providers operating in the rural
and nature-based tourism field (namely ecotourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy
and wine tourism) and the support institutions that constitute the enabling environment for these
types of tourism and influence their development and growth. The performance of the rural and
nature-based tourism service providers and the enabling environment influences the total experience
of the tourist. The evolution of rural and nature-based tourism in Lebanon, their integration in the
tourism value chain, their key stakeholders and service providers, and their market dynamics are
presented and analyzed in the following sections of the report.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 13
FIGURE 4: TOURISM VALUE CHAIN & STAKEHOLDERS MAP
Source: Author
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 14
III.1.2 TOURISM MARKET SEGMENTATION
Lebanon’s tourism market is divided into two main segments and over 20 distinct types of tourism
benefiting from the rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage in the country (Figure 5).
FIGURE 5: TOURISM TYPES AND MARKET SEGMENTATION IN LEBANON
Source: Author
Conventional tourism targets the mainstream market and is based on large-scale tourism services
and facilities. It aims at attracting a high number of visitors to tourism destinations; therefore, it is often
referred to as mass tourism and is consumption-based. The most important types of conventional
tourism include cultural tourism3 (specifically historical, archeological, and religious tourism), city and
urban tourism, entertainment tourism, and recreational tourism. Even though they target niche markets,
business tourism, MICE, wellness tourism, medical tourism, and educational tourism are also considered
part of the conventional tourism market.
Alternative and experiential tourism targets niche markets and promotes small-scale and
sustainable tourism services and activities. Even though they attract a limited number of visitors,
alternative tourism products and services can have a high added value and can carry important direct
and indirect economic benefits while preserving both natural and cultural resources. Therefore,
alternative and experiential tourism is resource-based. The most important types of alternative tourism
are based on natural and rural heritage and include some cultural tourism types such as ethnic and
community-based tourism, adventure tourism, ecotourism, wildlife tourism, geo-tourism, agro-tourism,
gastronomy tourism and wine tourism. Despite their sustainability objectives, poorly planned and
unmanaged rural and nature-based tourism types can generate negative social, economic and
environmental impacts, as is the case of conventional tourism.
3 Cultural tourism types can be classified under both markets, conventional or alternative, depending on the scale of services and activities they offer, the
sustainability practices, and the level of specialization.
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According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 2014 rural tourism value
chain assessment report, “the precise share of rural tourism in the total tourism sector in Lebanon is
unknown.” In their study on the rural tourism market in Lebanon, Ghadban et al. (2017) studied the
perception and behavior of potential rural tourists on the domestic market. Personal characteristics,
especially respondents’ personal income and cultural background, have been identified as major factors
that affect their decision-making process regarding rural tourism services and facilities. Results also
revealed a lack of awareness by the surveyed respondents about critical sustainable tourism issues in
rural areas, and visitor perception that is somewhat different from what is actually being provided by
tourism stakeholders in rural areas.
In addition to rural and nature-based tourism, new alternative tourism types are starting to emerge in
Lebanon, including solidarity tourism, volunteerism, creative tourism (also known as creatourism), and
dark tourism. The country has great potential for these niche markets, yet they are still underexplored
and underdeveloped.
III.2 LEBANON’S RURAL AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE
Lebanon’s rural areas represent a large portion of the total land area but a decreasing percentage of the
population (11.2% of the total population in 2019 according to the World Bank). Rural exodus is a well-
studied phenomenon in Lebanon. The search for improved economic opportunities has pushed many
people, particularly youths, to migrate and settle in urban zones (USAID, 2014). The Lebanese rural
landscape is a combination of natural ecosystems and cultural heritage, characterized by a rich and
diverse mosaic of ecosystems with high, arid uninhabited mountains (1,800 meters to 3,000 meters
above sea level); inhabited middle mountain and mild hills villages (500 meters to 1,800 meters) with
terraced agricultural lands on the slopes and in the valleys cultivated with perennial crops, olive trees
and fruit trees; and wide agricultural plains in the hinterland (Beqaa Valley at an altitude of 900 meters)
cultivated with vineyards, industrial crops, and vegetables.
Cultural heritage: Lebanon has a plethora of cultural attractions boasting five UNESCO World
Heritage sites and 10 sites on the UNESCO tentative list. It also has over 500 other cultural, religious,
historical and archeological sites spread all over the country and representing all of the civilizations that
have passed through Lebanon from ancient history until modern times, in addition to the traditional
architecture like the stone houses and red-tiled roofs in Mount Lebanon, the mud-brick houses in the
Beqaa Valley, and black stone houses in Akkar. Moreover, Lebanon offers rich, intangible heritage
traditions and history such as its cuisine, art, and craft-making. Among those and listed on the UNESCO
list is the “Al Zajal” (or recited and sung poetry) and one ongoing nomination, the Arabic calligraphy.
UNESCO Heritage Sites in Lebanon Designated World Heritage Sites: The five UNESCO world heritage sites are the Anjar Ummayad site, the
Baalbeck Roman temples and fortress, the Byblos fortress and archeological site, the Tyre Roman ruins, and the
Qadisha Valley and the Cedars of God.
Tentative list: The UNESCO tentative list includes the sites that Lebanon intends to nominate for the World
Heritage Sites list, and they include the Batroun old town, the Sidon old town, the Echmoun temple near Sidon,
the historical monument of the Menjez village in Akkar, Sacred Mount Hermon and its associated cultural
monuments in Rachaya, the Nahr El Kalb archeological site on the Kesrouane coast, the Mount Amel castles in
Nabatieh and Tyre (Chakif Arnoun, the Tebnine fortress, the Dubbeih fortress, Deir Kifa, and Burj El Naqoura),
the Tripoli old town, the Rachid Karameh International Exhibition Fair in Tripoli, and the Anfeh promontories on
the Koura coast (Ras El Qalaa, Ras El Natour, Ras El Mlelih).
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Natural heritage: Lebanon is known for its distinguished landscape, diverse ecosystems and rich
biodiversity with over 200 endemic species. The country offers a wide variety of natural sites including
forests, rivers, mountainous areas, sandy and rocky beaches, agricultural terraces with a wide variety of
products and seasons, hills and fertile plains. Despite being threatened by environmental degradation and
pollution, especially on coastal areas4 and rivers5, many natural sites still preserve their integrity,
specifically nature reserves, protected forests, and preserved natural sites and monuments. The Jeita
Grotto is among the most famous natural touristic sites in Lebanon, and it was visited by nearly 222,000
individuals in 2017.
Museums: The rich cultural and natural heritage of Lebanon is also represented in 95 museums spread
all over the country (12 in Beirut, 52 in Mount Lebanon, 15 in North Lebanon and Akkar, 10 in South
Lebanon and Nabatieh, and 9 in the Beqaa). The Beirut National Museum is the most visited museum in
Lebanon. The remaining museums are linked to specific touristic sites and showcase the local cultural
heritage, traditions, art and natural history, with the majority being privately owned. An exhaustive list
of museums can be found on https://www.bamleb.com/museums.
Strongly affected by land management plans, Lebanon’s rural and natural landscape is facing many
challenges. Rural-urban economic disparities and unsustainable land management practices contribute to
the erosion of the country’s natural and cultural values. Landscape degradation problems pertain to
most of the coastal areas and a significant number of mountain areas. Failure in planning and
management are further aggravated by political marginalization that has left rural communities in
Lebanon in need of social and economic development.
From an environmental perspective, Lebanon’s rural landscape has been threatened by a multitude of
factors that have caused loss of biodiversity, fragmentation or destruction of habitats, and different
forms of pollution. Human activities have caused pollution through urban sprawl, land encroachment,
industrialization, improper management, and discharge of wastewater and solid waste. Among these
human activities, uncontrolled tourism and infrastructure development constitute an increasing pressure
on and threat to natural and cultural resources of rural areas.
In response to the natural landscape’s degradation, between 1992 and 2016 the Ministry of Environment,
the Ministry of Agriculture, the MOT, and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
municipalities designated a number of Protected Areas. By the beginning of 2021, the existing
classification of Protected Areas in Lebanon included 18 Nature Reserves designated by law, three
UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserves, 24 Natural Sites designated by ministerial decrees and
decisions, 18 Hima6, 12 Protected Forests, and 14 Touristic Sites. A multitude of other rural landscapes
and natural landmarks (forests, valleys, river basins, mountain peaks, caves, specific geological landforms,
etc.) remain without any form of protection, and are facing many challenges. Most of these sites
4 Lebanon has access to 225 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline beaches, hence the large majority of these beaches are urbanized and occupied by resorts,
limiting free access to the sea. The only remaining public beaches exist in Naqoura, Tyre, Beirut, Byblos, Amchit, Batroun, and Chekka. Water-based activities in the
sea are not well developed and organized; the main activity practiced is diving. 5 There are 14 major rivers in Lebanon. Touristic activities along rivers are limited seasonal restaurants and camping in the wild. River sports activities exist only in
the Assi river in Hermel where rafting is practiced and in the Litani river in South Lebanon where kayaking is practiced. 6 Hima means protected area in Arabic; according to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), a Lebanese NGO specialized in nature
conservation, the Hima is a community-based approach used for the conservation of sites, species, habitats, and people in order to achieve the sustainable use of
natural resources. It originated more than 1,500 years ago where it was spread along the Arab Peninsula as a “tribal” system of sustainable management of natural
resources. It was applied as a system for organizing, maintaining, regulating, and utilizing natural pasture and rangelands in a way fitting with ecosystems and local
practices. It evolved with Islam, adding to it values and rules. Hima management and decisions are made by the local communities themselves. SPNL is reviving the
Hima approach in collaboration with municipalities in order to promote the conservation of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and conserve the sustainable use of natural
resources, among which ecotourism activities are introduced to the Hima.
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constitute an important asset for the tourism industry in Lebanon, in particular rural tourism and
nature-based tourism types.
III.3 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM EVOLUTION
The Lebanese tourism sector has suffered severe blows resulting from the Civil War (1975-1990) and
the political and security unrest (2004-2009 and 2011-2020) in Lebanon and the surrounding countries.
Between 1990 and 2004 the tourism industry rebuilt itself in parallel with the reconstruction of the basic
infrastructure. Governmental policies in the post-war period focused on promoting conventional
tourism in urban and coastal cities, while rural areas remained neglected until the early 2000s when
international organizations started to implement rural development projects with tourism components,
in addition to a few private initiatives.
The emergence of rural and nature-based tourism in Lebanon dates back to the mid- and late 90s,
specifically between 1995 and 1997, with the creation of four tour operators and dozens of outdoor
sports clubs specialized in nature-based tourism and adventure activities, namely hiking, trekking,
climbing, diving, paragliding, rafting and kayaking. The market was limited to the few foreigners
interested in alternative tourism and a limited number of Lebanese nature lovers and outdoors
enthusiasts. Rural accommodation services mostly consisted of small hotels, mountain resorts, and
furnished apartments. Thus, the visitation of rural areas was characterized by high seasonality and by its
concentration in certain mountain hubs known historically for their beautiful landscape and mild climate
in the summer, and snow sports in the winter.
From 1998 to 2004 rural tourism witnessed an important but slow evolution, especially with the
designation of the first seven nature reserves and the introduction of the ecotourism concept in four of
the seven designated reserves. The number of rural and nature-based tour organizers increased from
four to seven and one-day hiking excursions for the domestic market emerged, in addition to packaged
tours (five to eight days) for the international market.
Between 2005 and 2008 many rural tourism development projects were implemented in Lebanon with
the objective of supporting local economies through the improvement of the agricultural sector and
rural tourism. Among those projects, two major rural tourism development programs funded by USAID
had a major influence on the future of rural and nature-based tourism. They introduced to the tourism
market new services and activities, specifically in terms of accommodation and nature-based activities
represented mainly by hiking. They are the following:
• The Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT) (2005-2008): The LMT is a long-distance hiking trail
extending over a 470-kilometer path. It crosses 75 towns and villages from the north to the south at
altitudes ranging from 600 meters to 2,000 meters above sea level, in addition to one World
Heritage Site, two Biosphere Reserves, and four Protected Areas (Figure 6). The trail was conceived
and developed to showcase the natural beauty and cultural wealth of Lebanon’s mountains and rural
areas, and to demonstrate the determination of the local communities to conserve this unique
heritage.
During the project implementation, and for the first time in Lebanon, 11 guesthouses were partially
renovated, and their owners were trained on the basics of hospitality services. Established in 2007,
the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA) objectives are 1) to develop, maintain and protect
the LMT, 2) to help establish side trails on the LMT, 3) to protect the natural, cultural and
architectural heritage and landmarks near the trail; and to enhance economic opportunities by
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promoting responsible tourism. Since its creation, the LMTA has worked on the development of the
trail with the objective of supporting local economic opportunities through responsible tourism,
educational programs for schools, and environmental conservation activities. In line with this, the
LMTA has been upgrading the existing guesthouses on the trail and helping develop new ones.
In the last decade, the LMT has become the backbone of the country’s rural tourism industry and
one of its main tangible products for rural economic growth. The LMTA is continuously working
with national, regional, and local partners from the rural tourism value chain to upgrade its trail
services and activities. The association has three main programs: trail development, education
programs, and community development. In addition to these, it also occupies itself with
administration, outreach (public relations and communication) and policy platforms (including
protection, legislation, training, and blazing). The LMTA is endeavoring to make the trail a world-
class destination with proper delineation, trail blazing, promotion, and accommodation together
with trail-side attractions and activities. While it may be perceived that the LMTA is only concerned
with hiking activities, the association does much more: it maintains the trail, educates and creates
awareness among local communities and young people on the importance of the LMT to the
country’s heritage, and supports families and businesses along the trail. More information about the
LMT and LMTA can be found on www.lebanontrail.org.
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FIGURE 6: LEBANON MOUNTAIN TRAIL MAP
Source: www.lebanontrail.org
• The Diyafa Network was conceived by the international NGO American Near East Refugee Aid
(ANERA) in 2005 in recognition of the outstanding potential for tourism to contribute to the
economic development of rural communities in Lebanon. The main goal of Diyafa was to increase
economic opportunities in rural communities by stimulating sustainable income and employment in
the tourism sector, more specifically in the accommodation services. The program established a
network of 44 alternative tourism lodging facilities and classified them within seven categories,
including: Guesthouses; Small Hotels; Hostels; Youth Hostels; Religious Lodgings; Eco-lodges; and
Camping Sites. In 2014, a second phase of the project aimed to provide technical support and
cooperative marketing for a network of 31 guesthouses. The project upgraded the Diyafa website
(www.diyafa.org) and included an online reservation system. The Diyafa Network is currently
inactive.
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Beyond Beirut and Lebanon Traveler In addition to the LMT and Diyafa projects, USAID supported the establishment of the Beyond Beirut initiative in
2010 with the objective of developing and promoting rural tourism. Beyond Beirut was registered as an NGO with
the objectives of 1) providing trainings and consultancies, and organizing national forums and workshops 2)
supporting in destination development and project proposals, and 3) acting as a collective marketing platform and
publishing a specialized quarterly magazine titled “Lebanon Traveler” in partnership with Hospitality Services
S.A.R.L. The NGO organized two national rural tourism forums in 2011 and 2012, contributed to the elaboration
of the National Rural Tourism Strategy in 2014, and supported the implementation of rural tourism projects in
2016. Beyond Beirut has been inactive since 2017 but is still registered as an NGO and its website is still online
(www.beyondbeirut.com). As for the “Lebanon Traveler” magazine, it was fully acquired by Hospitality Services
and published both in print and online (www.lebanontraveler.com), featuring thematic articles about rural tourism
services and activities, and mini guides to rural destinations. Today, “Lebanon Traveler” is the only media platform
specialized in rural tourism.
In 2008, a “Charter for Responsible Tourism in Lebanon” was declared based on a private initiative,
hence it was never endorsed. With the development of this niche market, rural tourism accommodation
started to flourish in the form of inns, youth hostels, informal guesthouses, and camping sites. They were
located primarily in villages bordering nature reserves and key natural sites. By 2010, the number of
nature and rural tour organizers increased to 15, and hiking became more popular among the Lebanese
community. The guesthouses sector also became more organized with the support of the MOT. In
2011, a decree organizing guesthouses’ activities was issued; it remains until today the only regulatory
framework organizing rural tourism services. A five-year National Rural Tourism Strategy was expanded
with the support of USAID in the framework of the Lebanon Industry Value Chain project (LIVCD) in
2014 and endorsed by the MOT in 2015.
Despite the unstable political and security situation in the country and the decreasing number of
international tourist arrivals between 2011 and 2020, rural tourism activities and accommodation
services maintained their growth. New camping sites, guesthouses and boutique hotels were created in
rural areas. Their geographical distribution covers the entire Lebanese territory. A number of
municipalities, local NGOs, and individual initiatives rehabilitated the cultural and natural heritage sites
with the aim of transforming them into touristic attractions using private and external funds. New hiking
trails were created in many villages, and nature reserves became more involved in rural and ecotourism
development. Nature and rural tour organizers increased to 28 in 2014, 50 in 2017, and over 80 by the
end of 2020. The majority of the nature and rural tour organizers are informal entities without any legal
recognition. They diversified their activities, but hiking remains the star product of the sector. Figure 7
presents a summary of the chronological evolution of rural and nature-based tourism in Lebanon with
the key milestones that marked this sector.
Figure 7: Chronological evolutions of rural and nature-based tourism in Lebanon
Source: Author
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III.4 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS
III.4.1 TRAVEL ORGANIZATION AND BOOKING
Travel organization and booking follows different channels depending on the market sources and type of
tourism. This section describes the dynamics of travel and tourism organization and booking for internal
tourism in Lebanon, which includes, 1) inbound tourism concerning foreigners visiting Lebanon for
tourism; and 2) domestic tourism involving residents of Lebanon travelling within the country.
Inbound tourism
International tourists plan, organize and book their trips to Lebanon through:
1. Foreigner travel agents and/or tour operators based in their country of origin: The international tourist
buys holiday packages prepared by Lebanese travel agents and/or tour operators and marketed/sold
by foreign travel agents/tour operators.
2. Lebanese travel agents and/or tour operators based in Lebanon: The international tourist buys holiday
packages prepared, marketed and sold by Lebanese travel agents and tour operators.
3. Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): The international tourist builds his/her customized holiday through
booking/buying one or many services (transportation, accommodation, F&B, tours, activities)
featured on one or many OTAs.
4. Direct booking: The international tourist builds his/her customized holiday through booking/buying
one or many services (transportation, accommodation, F&B, tours, activities) directly with each
service provider in the destination country. This form of travel organization and booking channel is
used by independent and solo travelers.
Domestic tourism
Domestic travelers plan, organize and book their trips inside Lebanon through:
1. Lebanese tour operators and tour organizers: The domestic tourist buys holiday packages or tours
prepared, marketed and sold by Lebanese tour operators.
2. OTAs: The domestic tourist builds his/her customized holiday, tour or trip inside Lebanon through
booking/buying different services (transportation, accommodation, F&B, tours, activities) featured on
one or many OTAs.
3. Direct booking: The domestic tourist builds his/her customized holiday, tour or trip through
booking/buying one or many services (transportation, accommodation, F&B, tours, activities)
directly with each service provider in the final destination.
Foreign travel agents and tour operators: Some foreign travel agents and tour operators sell
packages to Lebanon, especially in European and North American countries. These agencies have
arrangements with travel agents and tour operators in Lebanon. The packages offered by these agents
tend to be the traditional packages centered on culture and history. Since 2011, due to the increase in
political and security instability in Lebanon, many foreign travel agents and tour operators removed
Lebanon from their catalogues.
International tour operators offering rural and nature-based tourism packages
G Adventures, Intrepid Travel, Trafalgar Travel, Topdeck, Exodus Travels, Explore, World Expeditions, Adventure Alternative,
Go Nomad Travel, Grasshopper Adventures, Active Adventures, Encounters Travel, Europamundo, Responsible Travel,
Steppes Travel, Allibert Trekking, Terres d'Aventure, Nomade Aventure, Evaneos, ARVEL Voyages.
Lebanese travel agents and tour operators: The difference between travel agents and tour
operators in Lebanon is blurred. The legal framework and registration system at the MOT do not
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differentiate between travel agents and tour operators according to the international definition7. Based
on the decree number 4216 issued in 1972 and modified by the decree number 9398 issued in 2012,
there are five categories of travel and tourism agencies in Lebanon (Table 1).
TABLE 1: TRAVEL AND TOURISM AGENCIES OFFICIAL CATEGORIES IN LEBANON
CATEGORY NUMBER OF SERVICE PROVIDERS SERVICES
1: Travel Agent
≈ 220 (among which
nearly 160 are members of the Association of Travel
and Tourist Agents in Lebanon (ATTAL),
www.attal.org.lb)
• Selling travel tickets or issuing bonds in their place, as well as organizing individual or group tourism trips from Lebanon to abroad and vice versa, according to specific programs in which all services and works related to
accommodation, site visits, transfers and other required services.
• Issuing bonds or selling travel tickets to organize internal or external tourist trips by land by means of transport owned by the agency or by land transport
companies operating in the country regularly for specific tourism programs.
• Renting tourist cars for foreign tourists, vacationers, or Lebanese expatriates
without a driver to visit tourist and archaeological sites in Lebanon or in neighboring Arab countries or in other countries.
• Providing event services by renting cars with a driver for each car, provided that the rental period is on an hourly basis and does not exceed twenty-four hours.
• Renting motorcycles, four-wheel-drive ATV and UTV vehicles to visit natural,
tourist, and archaeological sites in Lebanon within the permitted routes for this type of vehicle.
2: Tourism transport
agencies 10
• Issuing bonds or selling travel tickets to organize internal or external tourist trips by land by means of transport owned by the agency or by land transport companies operating in the country regularly for specific tourism programs.
3: Tourist car rental agencies
45 • Renting tourist cars for foreign tourists, vacationers, or Lebanese expatriates
without a driver to visit tourist and archaeological sites in Lebanon or in
neighboring Arab countries or in other countries.
4: Event car rental
agencies N/A
• Providing event services by renting cars with a driver for each car, provided that the rental period is on an hourly basis and does not exceed twenty-four hours.
5: Rental agencies for motorcycles, ATV, UTV
N/A • Renting motorcycles, four-wheel-drive ATV and UTV vehicles to visit natural,
tourist, and archaeological sites in Lebanon within the permitted routes for this
type of vehicle.
Source: Ministry of Tourism
The vast majority of Lebanese travel and tourism agents (95%) work on outbound tourism, offering
mainly airline reservations and ticketing, hotel bookings, transfer and car rental bookings, and holiday
packages outside Lebanon. Only around 25 Lebanese travel and tourism agents work in inbound tourism
and have the capacity to operate as travel agents and tour operators at the same time. The latter focus
on conventional tourism; they sell holiday packages for international tour operators and organize tours
in Lebanon covering the main touristic sites like Baalbeck, Byblos, Beiteddine, Jeita Grotto, Harissa, the
Bcharreh Cedars and Qadisha Valley, and sites in Beirut. Very few travel and tourism agents (less than
10), promote packages for medical tourism, skiing, rural and nature-based tourism including trips to
nature reserves and wine tourism. In terms of size and number of employees, 90% of the travel agencies
are small family businesses with three to five employees. Around 5% are considered medium enterprises
and are also family businesses with five to 10 employees. The remainder 5% are considered large
enterprises with an average of 20 employees per business. In total, travel agencies employ around 2,500
individuals.
Lebanese travel agents and tour operators working on inbound tourism
Nakhal, Saad Tours, Wild Discovery, Mirakel Travel, Kurban Travel, Barakat Travel, Azzi Holidays, Al Awael Travel & Tours,
Eagle Travel, Five Stars Tours, Sun Holiday Tours, Blue Ocean Creations, Show Me Lebanon, Fardayso, Lebanon Roots, Younes
Travel, Vent Nouveau, Vladimir Travel, Worldwide Travel & Tourism.
Specialized tour operators: In addition to the conventional travel agents and tour operators, there
are 12 specialized Lebanese tour operators focusing on rural and nature-based tourism for the domestic
7 Tour operators generate ideas for holidays, research the ideas, design the holiday itinerary and content, contract the services needed for the holiday, the
accommodation, transport, guides, tour leaders and then market and sell the package either directly to the consumer or using the services of travel agents to do so.
Travel agents do not, in theory, put together any of their own holiday packages; they sell many different packages produced by different tour operators.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 23
and inbound tourism markets. These service providers are registered as commercial companies and are
not registered at the MOT where they do not have a specific category. These service providers are
mainly led by their owners and use the services of part-time or seasonal guides.
Lebanese tour operators specialized in rural and nature-based tourism
Responsible Mobilities, 33 North, Liban Trek, Lebanese Adventure, Ibex Ecotourism, Discovery Beyond Borders, Routes LB,
Tourleb, Wanderleb, Living Lebanon, Taste Lebanon, Le Passeport Culinaire.
Informal clubs and tour organizers: A new trend emerged in Lebanon in the post-war period with
the creation of clubs – some are officially registered as outdoor sport clubs at the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, and others are informal – and informal tour organizers who provide rural and nature-based
tourism services and activities, and organize mainly one-day or weekend tours to rural areas and natural
sites. Their number increased from around 15 in 2010 to more than 80 in 2020. These “service
providers” are operated by their owners or members for the clubs and do not have employees. They
use social media platforms to promote their activities and focus on the domestic market.
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): In the last two decades, travel organization and booking have
shifted to OTAs. This trend is related to behavioral changes among different generations, specifically
Generation X and Millennials, who became initial advocates of the dynamic and flexible packaging model
that rapidly undermined conventional travel agents’ and tour operators’ rigid packaging model. The
presence of Lebanon’s tourism industry on OTAs is focused on accommodation services. Most of the
Lebanese hotels are present on the major OTAs such as Booking and Expedia, in addition to homestays
and guesthouses featured on Airbnb. In terms of packages and tours, Lebanon has a limited presence on
OTAs. TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel sites, shows 40 tours and excursions for Lebanon
compared to nearly 150 excursions and tours for Amman in Jordan alone. Moreover, by the end of
2020, 124,000 reviews and opinions for tours and excursions in Lebanon were featured on TripAdvisor,
compared to 343,000 reviews and opinions for Jordan, and 1,073,000 for Cyprus. Lebanon is not
present on Airbnb experiences, whereas there are 28 experiences offered in Jordan.
Lebanese OTAs and key digital platforms L’Hôte Libanais Online booking for a network of guesthouses and boutique hotels www.hotelibanais.com
Byout Beirut Online booking for a network of furnished apartments and chalets byout.bookeddirectly.com
Cheez Hospitality Online booking for a network of guesthouses and boutique hotels www.cheezhospitality.com
Ajar Online platform promoting Lebanese heritage and hospitality www.ajar.casa
Karya Phone app for experiences booking www.karyaleb.com
Daskra Phone app featuring Lebanon’s cultural and natural sites www.daskaraapp.com
Lebtivity Website for events’ calendar including rural and nature-based tours www.lebtivity.com Skileb Online booking for skiing holiday www.skileb.com
GoSawa Online sales and booking including chalets, hotels and bungalows www.gosawa.com
Makhsoom Online sales and booking for chalets, hotels, bungalows and camping www.makhsoom.com
III.4.2 TRANSPORTATION
Air transport: Lebanon has poor air transport infrastructure; among the three existing airports, only
one is economically active, the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA). The BRHIA connects
Lebanon to over 60 international destinations with direct flights through 45 major international airline
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companies8, including the national carrier Middle East Airlines9 (MEA). BRHIA is the main passenger port
of entry for travelers and tourists with an annual capacity of 6 million passengers. Between 2011 and
2018, the number of annual passengers registered a positive growth at a CAGR of 6.7%. It increased
from 5.6 million in 2011 to 8.8 million in 2018, thus exceeding the airport capacity by 46%, which
affected the quality of services, especially due to overcrowding. In 2019 the number of BRHIA
passengers decreased by 5% compared to 2018. In 2020, the number of passengers registered a sharp
decrease, dropping in the first 11 months of 2020 to 2.2 million passengers compared to 8.1 million
passengers during the same period in 2019. Total arrivals alone dropped by an annual 74.5% to reach 1
million by November 2020. By the same token, departures slumped by 71.3% year-on-year to reach 1.17
million passengers for the same period.
Sea transport: Lebanon has three major commercial seaports (Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon), 20 fishing
ports, among which 6 are used for recreational activities at the same time, and more than 10 private
marinas used for recreational activities. Before its destruction in the August 4, 2020, explosion, the
Beirut seaport was the only one receiving a limited number of cruise ships. The Tripoli seaport has a
passenger ship line connecting Lebanon to the Izmir seaport in Turkey. Only two fishing/recreational
seaports, Byblos and Tyre, offer daily boat trips for tourists. The private marinas are used for private
yachts and boats owned mainly by wealthy Lebanese.
Land transport: Land transportation for tourism in Lebanon involves bus and minibus rentals, taxi
services, and car rental agencies. There are approximately 10 large companies that operate buses and
minibuses, around 45 car rental companies for self-driving, and over 150 taxi companies, in addition to
individual bus, mini-bus and taxi owners who provide services for the tourism industry. Large land
transport companies often work with other travel agents and tour operators to provide the transport
component of a package tour for the inbound and domestic market. Few travel agents own their own
bus fleets such as Saad Holding. In addition to motorized vehicles transportation, cycling is on the rise in
Lebanon. In the last five years, local and national initiatives emerged to promote cycling as a means of
commuting as well as a recreational activity. Beirut by Bike (with a central branch in the capital and city
branches in Tyre, Sidon and Byblos), the PolyLiban Association (ADPL), Cycling Circle, Routes, Vélo
Route, and The Chain Effect are among the most popular initiatives and service providers offering
bicycle rentals, bicycle events, bicycle tours, and bicycle holidays.
Lebanon does not have a decent and well-organized public transportation system; instead, it utilizes an
informal and very poorly organized private transportation system with buses and minibuses linking
Beirut to the main coastal cities and to the Beqaa.
III.4.3 ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation services in Lebanon can be divided into three main categories: 1) conventional
accommodation such as hotels, furnished apartments, and chalets; 2) alternative accommodation, such as
guesthouses and bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, camping sites, forest resorts, bungalows, eco-lodges,
farm stays, and religious lodgings; and 3) Airbnb.
8 Among the 45 airline companies, 36 operate on a permanent basis and nine on a seasonal basis, and seven are low-cost carriers with connections to Cairo, Dubai,
Berlin, Istanbul, Antalya, Jeddah, Amsterdam, Lyon, Paris, and Barcelona. 9 MEA is one of the problem areas in the tourism sector. Many tourism professionals consider that MEA generated high profits at the expense of affordability of
access to Lebanon as a competitive destination.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 25
Hotels: Lebanon has 406 hotels with a capacity of approximately 22,000 rooms. The total number is
very low compared to other touristic countries in the MENA region, making the country more adapted
to niche tourism. The hotels network is characterized by uneven distribution across regions: 79% of
hotels and 83% of hotel rooms are located in Beirut (9,000 rooms) and Mount Lebanon (10,000 rooms).
At the district level, Kesrouane is ranked second after Beirut in terms of total number of hotels. If
counted separately from North Lebanon, Akkar has the lowest number of hotels, followed by South
Lebanon and Nabatieh (Table 2). Most hotels are under 100 rooms in size, with the larger,
internationally branded ones being in Beirut. Moreover, hotels do not cater for all customer segments
across regions, with three and four-star categories being the predominant ones. The majority of five-star
hotels are located in Beirut (57%) and Mount Lebanon (36%), and only three five-star hotels can be
found outside Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
TABLE 2: HOTELS DISTRIBUTION PER REGION AND PER CATEGORY IN LEBANON10
REGION NUMBER %
Distribution per category
5-star 4-star 1, 2 and 3-star
Beirut 110 27% 24 50 36
Mount Lebanon 212 52% 15 58 139 Byblos 27 7% 1 3 23
Kesrouane 98 24% 8 31 59
Matn 49 12% 4 11 34
Baabda, Aley and Shouf 38 9% 2 13 23
North Lebanon (including Akkar) 56 14% 1 12 43
Beqaa 16 4% 2 1 13
South Lebanon and Nabatieh 12 3% - 3 9
Total 406 100% 42 124 240
Source: Lebanon Economic Vision, 2018
According to Lebanon Economic Vision developed by McKinsey & Company in 2018, the average length
of stay for international tourists is 3.2 days, which is a low to medium level of stay compared to
Lebanon’s main competitors. On the other hand, one of the most problematic indicators in Lebanon’s
tourism performance is hotel occupancy. According to the MOT, the average yearly occupancy rate in
Lebanon’s hotels was around 39% in the period 2015-2019. This occupancy rate is considered very low
by international standards; healthy and prosperous tourism destinations need to generate no less than
65% occupancy rate in hotels. In addition, variability in occupancy is observed across regions: in 2019,
the average occupancy rate in Beirut was 62%, while in the rest of the areas it was 20%. The different
crises facing Lebanon are clearly reflected in the significant decrease of the Beirut hotel occupancy rate.
In its benchmark survey of the hotel sector in the Middle East, Ernest and Young (EY) indicated that the
average occupancy rate at four and five-star hotels in Beirut was 13.8% in the first nine months of 2020,
relative to 70.2% in the same period of 2019, and compared to an average rate of 40% in 14 Arab
markets included in the survey.
The occupancy rate at the Beirut hotels was the lowest in the region in the covered period, while it had
been the sixth highest in the first half of 2019. It decreased by 56.5% in the first nine months of 2020,
constituting the steepest decline in the region. In comparison, the average occupancy rate in Arab
markets declined by 25% in the covered period (Figure 8).
10 An exhaustive list of hotels and their classification and regional distribution can be provided by the Lebanese Hotel Association.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 26
FIGURE 8: BEIRUT 4 AND 5-STAR HOTELS OCCUPANCY RATE 2019-2020 COMPARISON
Source: Brite Indicators and Trends
In tandem, data on room rate and Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) at four and five-star hotels in
Beirut as per the EY benchmark survey revealed that the average room rate and RevPAR slumped from
$199 and $143 by September 2019, to unprecedented lows of $159 and $23 by September 2020,
respectively.
Furnished apartments and chalets: There are no official statistics on the numbers and distribution
of furnished apartments and chalets in Lebanon, nor on their occupancy rate. These two
accommodation types are located all over Lebanon with the majority of furnished apartments existing in
Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and the majority of chalets in main coastal cities and ski and mountain
destinations.
Alternative accommodation: Alternative accommodation emerged in Lebanon in the period 2000-
2005 with the first initiatives of rural and nature-based tourism. Guesthouses, bed and breakfasts,
camping sites, forest resorts, bungalows set in nature, youth hostels, agro-tourism/farm stays, and eco-
lodges flourished in mountain areas and in the proximity of nature reserves and other natural
attractions. Guesthouses gained more prominence in the period 2008-2010 following the
implementation of two USAID funded projects, “The Lebanon Mountain Trail” and “The DHIAFEE
Network”. By the end of 2010, there were nearly 50 alternative tourism lodging facilities in Lebanon,
and in 2020 their number exceeded 200. Despite this rapid growth and the increasing demand for rural
accommodation, especially with the booming domestic tourism market in the last three years,
alternative accommodation forms are operating without a specific legal framework, except for
guesthouses that were organized by a ministerial decree issued in 2011. Consequently, the
classification/categorization of alternative lodging in Lebanon is random and does not follow clear
standards.
For instance, the majority of boutique hotels in rural areas are registered as guesthouses, which
confuses the market. A large number of camping sites, bungalows, agro-tourism/farm stays do not have
any legal status and operate informally. This situation makes the collection and analysis of data for
59.8%
70.7%
79.0%
85.4%
44.8%
76.7% 75.4%
83.0%
57.2%
70.2%
25.0%30.0%
10.0%
2.0% 3.0% 3.0%0.0%
22.0%
15.0% 13.8%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Average
2019 2020
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 27
alternative accommodation very difficult. On the other hand, an important number of alternative
accommodation facilities are listed on online booking platforms, such as Booking and Airbnb.
Airbnb: According to the Airbnb and AirDNA websites (the former is the analytics platform for Airbnb
facilities around the world), there are 3,964 Airbnb offerings in Lebanon, with a total of nearly 17,665
beds. Similar to hotels, the majority of Airbnb locations (80.4%) are in Beirut and Mount Lebanon (Table
3).
TABLE 3: AIRBNB DISTRIBUTION PER REGION IN LEBANON (AD OF JANUARY 2021) Region (district) Number of facilities % Average number of beds per facility Estimated number of beds
Beirut 1,150 29.0% 3.8 4,370
Kesrouane 717 18.1% 4.9 3,514
Matn 700 17.7% 5.0 3,500
Byblos 251 6.3% 4.6 1,155
Batroun 159 4.0% 5.2 826
South Lebanon (Jezzine, Tyre, Sidon) 150 3.8% 4.0 600
Baabda 141 3.6% 4.0 564
Shouf 133 3.4% 5.0 665
Zgharta 132 3.3% 4.0 528
Bcharreh 105 2.6% 4.0 420
Aley 92 2.3% 5.5 506
Zahle 51 1.3% 5.0 255
Koura 43 1.1% 4.0 172
Tripoli 40 1.0% 4.5 180
Nabatieh (Incl. Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil) 37 0.9% 4.0 148
Akkar 24 0.6% 4.0 96
West Beqaa and Rachaya 22 0.6% 4.0 88
Baalbeck-Hermel 17 0.4% 4.0 68
Total 3,964 100% 4.4 17,665 Source: www.airbnb.com; www.airdna.co
There is no published data on the occupancy rate of Airbnb facilities in Lebanon. This information is
available on AirDNA upon paid membership.
III.4.4 FOOD AND BEVERAGE
F&B is the most important sub-sector in tourism, as it is the largest employer and consumer of Lebanese
agricultural and food products. There are nearly 8,000 restaurants and cafes (5,500 open all year round
and 2,500 are seasonal ones that open in the summer). Labor is estimated at 125,000 workers in the
sector. The boom of the restaurant business between 2004 and 2010 has slowed down since 2011 due
to the multiple crises Lebanon is facing.
The BLOM-Invest bank report, “Uncovering the Lebanese Restaurant Industry”, explains that the
restaurants that chose to hastily enter the business during the economic boom soon felt the pressure of
harsher conditions and had no choice but to lock up and leave. Those who survived are 1) the ones with
a loyal, established niche clientele and sufficient cash flow to continue operating under tough conditions,
most likely in the medium to high-end segments; 2) the ones offering an authentic experience with
which the consumers have grown familiar and which entails a reasonable price tag; and 3) the ones
maintaining the best mix of consistency and affordability over the years.
The high-end segment was the most affected by the slowdown in the F&B sector between 2011 and
2019. The recent financial crisis, the currency devaluation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut Port
explosion in August 2020, have put the entire F&B industry in Lebanon at risk.
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In terms of types, the F&B sector in Lebanon offers a wide variety of international and fusion cuisines, in
addition to the traditional Lebanese cuisine. Moreover, Arak (the national alcoholic beverage) and wine
production are considered to be a distinctive feature in Lebanon. By the end of 2020, Lebanon had 66
wineries, including large-scale, medium, and smaller producers. Of these, 24 are members of the Union
Vinicole du Liban (UVL), the country’s official association of wine producers. Overall, Lebanon produces
8.5 million bottles of wine per year. According to UVL, there are four large-scale wineries in Lebanon
producing around 60% of the total wine market in terms of production volume. The wine industry also
involves another 15 medium-sized producers (producing 100,000 to 500,000 bottles each), 14 small
wineries (producing 50,0000 to 100,000 bottles each), and 33 niche micro-wineries producing less than
50,000 bottles per year. The Beqaa Valley has the largest number of wineries (41%), followed by Mount
Lebanon (36%), Batroun (14%), North Lebanon (6%) and South Lebanon (3%). In addition to Arak and
wine production, micro-breweries and distilleries emerged in the last five years; today there are three
micro-breweries in Lebanon and five micro-distilleries producing gin, whiskey and vodka. Some micro-
breweries and distilleries offer F&B services and tasting activities (Cf. section III.6.5 for details about
wine tourism).
III.4.5 EXCURSIONS AND TOURS
Based on the Lebanon Economic Vision report estimations, Lebanon offers a limited range of excursions
and tours. Very few conventional travel agents and tour operators offer daily excursions and tours to
touristic regions and attractions. Big hotels in Beirut offer excursions and tours to the main touristic
sites of the country in cooperation with tour operators or licensed guides. There are nearly 150
licensed guides in Lebanon officially recognized by the MOT, of which 25 are members of the Tourist
Guide Syndicate. There is no difference between a tour guide and a tour leader in Lebanon. Local guides
and mountain guides, working mainly in village tours, hiking and outdoor sports activities, are not
officially recognized in Lebanon; moreover, some local and mountain guides, or outdoor sports clubs
and their members – as in the case of paragliding and rafting – are playing the role of tour operators for
the domestic market and the international tourists, which is creating unfair competition with registered
tour operators and companies.
Some initiatives were created in the last five years to promote city walking tours and cultural tours, such
as “Beirut walking tours” and “Mira’s guided tours”. The Hop-on Hop-off bus was introduced to
Lebanon in early 2019, though the deteriorating situation did not allow this initiative to continue.
Visitation to major touristic sites: Accurate numbers and statistics about touristic sites’ visitors are
provided only for the sites managed or supervised by the MOT and the Ministry of Culture (Table 4)
and a few nature reserves and parks (Cf. paragraph III.5 for more details on visitors of nature reserves).
Very limited information exists on the number and profile of visitors to wineries, agro-tourism projects,
and natural/cultural attractions managed or supervised by municipalities and/or NGOs. The collection
and analysis of such data necessitates extensive field work.
TABLE 4: NUMBER OF VISITORS EVOLUTION TO MAJOR TOURISTIC SITES
Site 2015 2016 2017
Jeita Grotto 221,782 186,737 222,849
Byblos fortress and archeological site 89,259 90,730 93,439
Beit El Dine palace 62,430 72,967 85,334
Baalbeck temple and fortress 36,870 51,665 78,448
Sidon fortress 27,250 45,227 52,960
Beirut National Museum 32,045 39,117 38,157
Tyre archeological site 11,867 14,217 18,546
Faqra temple 9,916 10,537 12,012
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 29
Tripoli fortress 2,219 2,315 2,880 Source: Ministry of Tourism
According to the above table, Jeita Grotto is the most visited site by far in Lebanon, with the Byblos
fortress ranking second, and the Tripoli fortress the least visited. The data available is not segregated
between locals and foreigners, so it is difficult to analyze visitation patterns by visitor or by nationality.
Though, with over 1.8 million visitors reported in 2017 as having entered Lebanon and less than 200,000
having visited the three out of the five World Heritage Sites in Lebanon (Byblos, Baalbeck, Tyre), it is
clear that large numbers of international arrivals are not foreign tourists, but rather are most likely the
diaspora, or arrivals for business meetings with short stays. Another explanation for this gap between
the high number of international arrivals and the low number of visitors to major touristic sites could be
the weak promotion of Lebanon as a cultural tourism destination.
III.4.6 SUPPORT INSTITUTIONS
The tourism support institutions influence the sectors’ performance and its enabling environment in
different ways. These institutions can be divided as follows: governmental; municipal; syndicates; donors;
NGOs; academic; research; consulting; banks and financial institutions; investors; media; and business
incubators. The following sections of the study describe the role of each support institution in the
governance and development of the tourism sector, namely rural and nature-based tourism.
Governmental and public institutions: Tourism development on the public level is greatly
correlated with the country’s central administration represented by ministries, national councils, and
other affiliated bodies. The sector’s governance is shared among multiple institutions carrying different
responsibilities.
The Ministry of Tourism (MOT) is the primary governmental institution responsible for promoting
tourism and administering the sector.
The MOT has seven main departments and 20 sub-departments responsible for 1) promoting tourism;
2) regulating, coordinating, and monitoring tourism professions; 3) regulating, coordinating, and
monitoring private companies and associations working in the tourism sector; 4) promoting and
executing tourism investment projects; 5) facilitating and simplifying rules and requirements related to
these projects; 6) applying laws and regulations related to tourism and tourism enterprises; and 7)
developing archaeological and historical sites and museums for tourism purposes. In addition to the
MOT, the following ministries have different mandates and responsibilities related in one way or another
to the tourism sector:
• The Ministry of Culture is responsible for excavating, preserving, and managing archeological sites,
managing national museums, protecting other important cultural heritage assets such as traditional
architecture, and promoting cultural events.
• The Ministry of Environment is responsible for protecting natural resources and supervising the
nature reserves’ management, including monitoring ecotourism activities within the reserves.
• The Ministry of Agriculture protects forests, regulates the wine production sector, the fisheries
sector, and other agricultural activities that could be integrated into many forms of tourism.
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• The Ministry of Interior and Municipalities is responsible for law enforcement, ensuring safety and
security, and regulating the work of municipalities.
• The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation is responsible for developing and maintaining
transportation infrastructure, which includes roads, the airport and seaports. The ministry is also
responsible for the public maritime lands over which most of the beach resorts are built.
• The Ministry of Energy and Water protects and manages the exploitation of rivers, water bodies
and springs, and regulates any activities along riverbanks.
• The Ministry of Youth and Sports gives permits for youth hostels and outdoor sports
clubs/federations.
• The Ministry of Public Health inspects all of the establishments that provide food and beverage
services, including hotels and restaurants.
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes Lebanon as a tourist destination through its economic
attachés in Lebanon’s embassies around the world.
The National Tourism Council Lebanon was among the first countries in the world to establish a National Tourism Council (NTC) in 1962. The
NTC was formed of representatives from the public and private sectors. It acted as a national tourism board and
was responsible for overseas promotion and tourism projects’ execution. After the creation of the MOT in 1966,
the NTC was chaired by the Minister of Tourism, with members from the private sector representing the tourism
syndicates. Its responsibilities and tasks were transferred to the MOT, and it became a consultative entity. In 1992,
the NTC became completely inactive and its tasks were officially nullified by a ministerial decree.
Other than ministries, the following public institutions and entities support tourism development:
• The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC): While it is formed of representatives from the
private sector and the civil society, the Economic and Social Council is considered a public entity and
works under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s office and provides consultative services to the
Cabinet. The Council’s tourism committee conducts research studies and organizes conferences and
meetings to improve and develop tourism.
• The Council for Reconstruction and Development (CDR): The CDR is considered a super ministry
in Lebanon. It is affiliated with the Prime Minister’s office. The CDR plans and executes multiple
projects related to the basic infrastructure of the country and has a strong influence on the national
development strategies.
• Parliamentary committees for agriculture and tourism study and suggest new laws and regulations
for the tourism sector and submit them to the joint parliamentary committee to be listed on the
meetings of the Parliament’s General Assembly for voting and ratification.
• The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL): IDAL is the national investment
promotion agency promoting Lebanon as a key investment destination, and attracting, facilitating and
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 31
retaining investments in the country. IDAL provides a framework for regulating investment activities in
Lebanon and providing investors with a range of incentives and business support services.
Tourism is one of the priority sectors identified by IDAL among the most promising opportunities in
terms of their investment potential and impact on socio-economic growth. IDAL used to promote
investment in large-scale tourism projects such as big hotels and resorts with funding originating
mainly from countries within the GCC. After the economic and COVID-19 crises, the investment
priorities changed, and IDAL is revising the tourism sector priorities and is planning to promote more
small-scale tourism projects with a focus on nature-based tourism, ecotourism, cultural and religious
tourism. IDAL enjoys financial and administrative autonomy and reports to the Prime Minister’s office,
which exercises a tutorial authority over it.
• Kafalat: Jointly owned by the public and private sector, Kafalat’s main function is to extend to the
banks a guarantee against 75% of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and start-up loans at a
subsidized fee, and with bank loans’ subsidized rates, pegged to treasury bills interest rates. However,
since the start of the Lebanese financial crisis in 2019, banks have stopped lending and Kafalat has not
guaranteed any new loan contract in 2020.
• The Directorate of General Security is responsible for controlling access to and exit from the
airport, seaports and land ports, and granting visas to foreigners upon their arrival to the border
stations. For national security reasons, all hotels, furnished apartments and other accommodation
facilities send information to General Security, in real time, about their facilities’ users through sharing
passport or ID copies.
• The Central Administration of Statistics (CAS) is responsible for collecting, analyzing and publishing
data on the tourism sector performance such as the number of international arrivals, hotel occupancy
rates, the number of visitors to major touristic sites, and the contribution of tourism to the GDP and
to employment.
The manifold responsibilities and their fragmentation between different public entities that do not have a
clear coordination mechanism make the governance of the tourism sector a complex process, and does
not facilitate the elaboration and implementation of tourism policies and strategies on the national level.
Tourism-related laws and decrees are subject to different interpretations from the involved
stakeholders. In addition, the legal framework is obsolete and needs to be revised and updated to
accompany the evolution of the tourism industry in light of the new global trends.
Municipalities and unions of municipalities: Municipalities and unions of municipalities play a major
role in tourism development and governance at the local and regional level, through what is known as
decentralized administration. According to the decree 2170 issued on December 12, 2018, and which
distributes the proceeds of the independent municipal fund, there were 1,029 municipalities in Lebanon
by the end of 2017.
These local authorities represent 73% of the total number of the territorial localities (1,409). The
remaining 380 villages that do not have municipal councils responsible for the management of their
geographical territory are directly administered by the Caimacam (administrator of the Caza).
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 32
Municipalities and unions of municipalities control most of the governance aspects within their
jurisdiction area that might affect tourism directly or indirectly. The municipalities’ responsibilities and
tasks include control over budgets, revenues (tax collection), and spending; planning and contracting
public works; urban planning and land use organization; and services such as providing household water
and treating solid waste and wastewater.
However, municipalities remain constrained administratively and financially. Most of the municipalities
are too small, lack enough personnel, and have insignificant tax revenues. Moreover, municipalities are
bound by the central administration (the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, the General Directorate
of Urbanism, the Civil Service Council, and the Ministry of Finance) that limit their ability to assume
their role specified by the municipalities law. The unions of municipalities present a partial solution to
the problem, where unions are better staffed and have more access to funds to conduct local
development projects.
There are 57 unions of municipalities in Lebanon, with their major role focusing on the enhancement of
small municipalities’ capacities in creating better and faster change and impact. The level of involvement
of municipalities and their unions in relation to tourism development and promotion on their territories
differ from one area to the next and is strongly correlated with the degree of awareness among mayors
and municipal councils, as well as with their ability to plan for and execute tourism-related projects using
their own funds or through external funding.
In the last two decades, around 100 municipalities (nearly 10% of the total number) and 11 unions of
municipalities implemented at least one project, initiative, activity, or event to develop and promote
tourism on their territories, with a focus on rural and nature-based tourism. The majority of these
municipal projects and initiatives were funded by international organizations and donors and
implemented in partnership with local NGOs. However, the sustainability of tourism projects at the
municipal level needs to be reinforced by a Public-Private Partnership approach that will allow the
private sector to manage tourism projects and ensure their profitability and long-term viability. (Annex
2. Unions of municipalities and municipalities active in rural and nature-based tourism)
Business associations: Tourism business associations are represented by one federation for tourism
industries regrouping eight syndicates and one recently created union specialized in ecotourism and
sustainable tourism (Table 5). These organizations aim to organize and develop the tourism sub-sectors
they represent in coordination with other public and private entities. They also defend the interests of
their members and lobby for the improvement of rules and regulations governing the sector. Some of
these syndicates offer benefits to their members such as technical support programs, training and
research.
TABLE 5: TOURISM BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS: SYNDICATES AND UNIONS Federation Syndicate/Union Number of members Sub-sector
Lebanese
Federation for
Tourism
Industries
Association of Travel and Tourism Agencies in
Lebanon (ATTAL) ~300
Travel organization (ticketing, booking,
transportation, tour organization)
The Syndicate of Owners of Restaurants, Cafés,
Night-Clubs & Pastries ~1,000 F&B and recreation
Lebanese Hotel Association (LebHOA) ~400 Accommodation, F&B, recreation
Syndicate of Furnished Apartments in Lebanon N/A Accommodation
Syndicate of Car Rental Agencies in Lebanon ~45 Transportation
Syndicate of Beaches & Resorts in Lebanon N/A Recreation, accommodation, F&B
Syndicate of Tourist Guides ~25 Tours and excursions
Syndicate of Crafts Makers N/A Local products
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 33
Union of Sustainable and Ecotourism Institutions in
Lebanon (USEIL) 5 Sustainable rural and nature-based tourism
Civil society and NGOs: There are 15 NGOs implementing regional and national projects aimed at
developing rural and nature-based tourism services and activities, in addition to the preservation and
valorization of the natural and cultural heritage:
• Arcenciel: The promotion and valorization of local heritage through sustainable tourism and agro-
tourism, and the management of a private natural park, farm, eco-lodge and traditional restaurant.
(www.arcenciel.org)
• The René Mouawad Foundation (RMF): The implementation of municipal development projects
pertaining to tourism, and livelihoods support through rural tourism initiatives. (www.rmf.org.lb)
• Caritas: The implementation of municipal development projects pertaining to tourism, and livelihoods
support through rural tourism initiatives. (www.caritas.org.lb)
• Nahnoo: The promotion and protection of public spaces and natural landscapes. (www.nahnoo.org)
• Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI): The integration of tourism activities in forest management
plans, the creation of hiking trails and provision of training and technical support to local service
providers such as guides and cooperatives, and capacity building for municipalities. (www.lri-lb.org)
• Council of Environment: The integration of tourism activities in environmental initiatives, the
creation of hiking trails and provision of training to local guides.
• Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL): The designation of Hima protected areas,
and the development and promotion of ecotourism services and activities. (www.spnl.org)
• The Food Heritage Foundation (FHF): The preservation and valorization of the culinary heritage
and promotion of gastronomy tourism. (www.food-heritage.org)
• Association du Développement Rural (ADR): The technical support and training for rural tourism
service providers, with a focus on the fisheries sector. (www.adr.org.lb)
• Cedar’s Mountain Foundation (CMF): The preservation and valorization of the cultural and
religious heritage of the Wadi Qadisha World Heritage Site and Bcharreh district.
(www.cedmount.org)
• Fair Trade Lebanon (FTL): The technical support for and training of local food producers, and
support to municipalities in establishing fair trade villages and fair tourism destinations.
(www.fairtradelebanon.org)
• Association for Forest Development and Conservation: The integration of tourism activities in
forest management plans, the creation of hiking trails and provision of training and technical support
to local service providers such as guides, and capacity building for municipalities (www.afdc.org.lb).
• Lebanon Tourism Energy (LTE): The overseas promotion of Lebanon as a tourism destination and
the promotion of rural and domestic tourism.
• The Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA): Cf. pages 16-17.
• Diyafa: Cf. page 18.
Universities: There are 12 universities in Lebanon offering tourism and hospitality management
programs in specialized faculties, such as in the Lebanese University (LU) and the Islamic University in
Lebanon (IUL), or within programs affiliated with other business faculties, which include Université Saint-
Joseph (USJ), Lebanese American University (LAU), Sagesse University (US), Notre Dame University
(NDU), Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), University of Balamand (UOB), Lebanese International
University (LIU), Al Kafaat University (AKU), American University of Science and Technology (AUST),
and Arts, Sciences and Technology University in Lebanon (AUL). In addition to higher education, there
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 34
are technical and vocational schools and institutes offering hospitality related diplomas with a focus on
F&B and restauration. These include one public institute, the Hotel Management Institute of Dekwaneh,
and seven private institutes, the CIT technical school, CIS technical college, YMCA technical college,
Pigier, Central College Jounieh technical school, Cortbawi Institute, and the Institute of Management and
Services.
Consulting firms: There are approximately 10 consulting firms and over 30 individual consultants
offering services for the tourism and hospitality sector. Less than 10 consultants are specialized in rural
and nature-based tourism.
Certification firms: Certification programs for the tourism and hospitality industry remain limited for
conventional hotels and restaurants and are mostly offered by international organizations though their
national or regional offices. There are no national certification bodies or programs for rural and nature-
based tourism services/activities.
Banks and financial institutions: There are several banks in Lebanon that offer subsidized and
unsubsidized loans to medium and large tourism projects, in addition to the micro-credit institutions
that have provided loans for small tourism projects.
Media: In addition to the traditional media channels (television, radio, newspapers and magazines) that
promote domestic tourism, digital and social media platforms are becoming the main tools for tourism
promotion in the international market. At the level of tourism service providers, many firms are trying
to improve their digital presence. At a destination level, Lebanon is still lagging behind compared to
many others in the MENA region.
Business incubators/accelerators and startup ecosystem: Today there are nearly 35
organizations supporting the startup ecosystem in Lebanon. These include 12 incubators/accelerators,
eight venture capital firms, seven co-working spaces, three support units, and five universities. Unlike
countries in the region, tourism business incubators are missing in Lebanon and the startup ecosystem
does not support tourism and hospitality directly. Hence, its predominant Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) component can be of great support to the sector, especially in
terms of proposing solutions to technological challenges, introducing innovation, integrating
sustainability, and advancing digital transformation in existing and emerging tourism services and
activities.
III.5 INSTITUTIONAL AND DONORS SUPPORT
III.5.1 POLICIES AND STRATEGIES
A destination’s competitiveness and tourism success depend on a country’s ability to adapt to current
and future social, economic, environmental, health, security and technological challenges, and to focus
more on the development of tourism governance and incorporate it within general and cross-cutting
economic development strategies. Yet, Lebanon is not among the countries that have developed or are
currently developing a comprehensive strategy for the tourism sector. The MOT has launched a number
of unsystematic initiatives to boost tourism, coordinated promotional campaigns to position Lebanon on
the touristic map and maintain its position as a touristic destination, and led specific projects to support
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 35
touristic activities, notably through supporting international and local festivals. The obsolete legal
framework, the complex enabling environment, and the lack of political and economic stability did not
help the public and the private sector set a clear tourism policy orientation for the long-term
development of the sector.
The most important tourism development strategies and initiatives are the following:
• National Strategy for Tourism (1996): Building on the “Horizon 2000” general development plan
and the UNWTO framework strategy, a national strategy for tourism was established in 1996 with
the following priority actions: 1) Rehabilitating and managing Tripoli’s historic sites and Jounieh’s old
city center; 2) Managing Damour’s coastal plain; 3) Planning for Qadisha Valley’s management; 4)
Managing Lake Qaraoun; 5) Expanding the plan for the mountain areas; 6) Managing Batroun’s coastal
area; and 7) Rehabilitating and upgrading public beaches. Only the first priority action was
implemented.
• Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon (2004): A comprehensive
development plan for the tourism sector was developed by the Japanese International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) in cooperation with the MOT and CDR.
• Cultural Heritage and Urban Development Project (2003-2016): This large-scale project funded
by the World Bank focused on rehabilitating and improving the basic infrastructure of the major
touristic sites and cities of Lebanon, namely Tripoli, Byblos, Baalbeck, Sidon, and Tyre.
• Lebanon Diaspora Energy (LDE) regional conferences (2014-2019): This initiative was launched
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2014 to organize a series of national and overseas conferences.
They aim to: 1) Celebrate the Lebanese diaspora’s success stories in different countries; 2) Promote
Lebanese heritage by spreading Lebanese culture and traditions around the world; 3)
Establish connections between the diaspora and Lebanese residents, thus providing an opportunity for
them to share experiences, enhance relations, and establish business and social connections; 4)
Explore new possibilities and opportunities, where Lebanese residents and expatriates can together
restore Lebanon’s positive image and boost the world’s trust in its economic potential; 5)
Assist individuals with Lebanese origins to obtain their citizenship and enjoy the merits and advantages
of being Lebanese; 6) Spread the concept of “Lebanity” among both the diaspora and their
compatriots in Lebanon to preserve and fully live the Lebanese lifestyle.
• National Rural Tourism Strategy - NRTS (2015-2019): The National Rural Tourism Strategy was
funded by USAID in the framework of the Lebanon Industry Value Chain (LIVCD) project in 2014 and
endorsed by the MOT in 2015. It is a five-year development strategy aimed at enhancing economic
opportunities in rural areas through improving the competitiveness of the rural tourism value chain.
Some of the eight strategic objectives were partially achieved, such as rural tourism promotion,
product diversification, integration of rural tourism in the education system, and business linkages.
Alternatively, the institutional and legislative framework, the conservation and protection of the
natural and cultural heritage, quality control, and the improvement of information management and
data collection still need to be improved by all concerned stakeholders in order to better organize the
rural tourism value chain and ensure its sustainability on the social, economic, and environmental
levels. Despite these institutional and enabling environment gaps, tourism professionals and academics
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 36
consider that rural tourism services and activities registered an important growth between 2010 and
2020. This trend is observed though the increasing number of rural accommodation offerings.
Moreover, most of the rural and nature-based tourism types were resilient ahead of the different
crises facing Lebanon, especially with their reliance on the diaspora and the domestic market. Today,
rural and nature-based tourism offer significant potential for the tourism sector with many
opportunities for SMEs, job creation, income diversification, innovation, heritage preservation and
valorization, and economic and social cooperation, provided it is accompanied by the upgrade of the
tourism legal framework to make it more adaptable to the industry’s new trends, as well as to
guarantee the market’s sustainability and its competitiveness on the long term.
• Visit Lebanon (2017): Launched in 2017, Visit Lebanon is an overseas marketing and promotion
campaign implemented by the private sector under the supervision of the MOT. Since its launching,
Visit Lebanon organized only one international forum in Beirut dedicated to promoting Lebanon as a
leisure and MICE tourism destination, with a focus on business-to-business (B2B) marketing. A website
was created in the process: www.visitlebanon.com. The lack of funding and the recent crises in
Lebanon did not allow for further events to be organized under this initiative.
• Lebanon Economic Vision (2018): Lebanon Economic Vision, a detailed report prepared by
McKinsey & Company for the Government of Lebanon in 2018, placed tourism as one of the most
promising sectors and a driver of economic growth. The management consultancy’s report –
presented in the form of a 1,274 slide-long PowerPoint presentation – dedicated nearly 120 slides to
the tourism sector. The tourism vision initiatives tend to prioritize the mass tourism concept, rather
than promote a sustainable tourism approach based on alternative and experiential tourism forms in
alignment with the global trends, which were confirmed after the COVID-19 pandemic. From a
marketing perspective, the vision proposed promoting and branding Lebanon as the “up-and-coming
Mediterranean Riviera” with three main types of tourism: leisure (including “City and Entertainment,”
“Sun & Sea,” and “Culture,” as well as a “niche offering in ultra-luxury ecotourism”), business (with a
focus on the MICE section and the GCC), and medical tourism. This market and branding vision bears
many paradoxes, especially for two types of tourism. The ultra-luxury ecotourism concept does not
match the realities of Lebanon due to the small size of its nature reserves and their proximity to urban
settlements, the fragility of natural ecosystems, and the absence of legislation for ecotourism in
general. As for the MICE and the Sun & Sea sections of leisure tourism, these are among the least
competitive markets for Lebanon due to the low attractiveness of the coastline and the high levels of
sea water pollution, in addition to the very low capacity to compete with neighboring destinations
such as Turkey, Cyprus, the U.A.E. and Egypt, resulting in a deteriorated value for money. Moreover,
sun and sea tourism is not a trending market segment anymore according to many international
studies and reports. The 22 proposed priority tourism initiatives did not promote a balanced socio-
economic development model since it favored the center-periphery model, which increases disparities
and gaps between urban and rural areas. The vision mentioned three tourism anchor destinations and
urban/coastal hubs in Beirut, Byblos, and Tyre, instead of developing regional tourism clusters and
geographical destinations offering thematic experiences for travelers. In addition, the tourism priority
initiatives were not presented with a clear time frame that identified how long their implementation
needed. In terms of economic impact, the report estimated that the number of jobs in the tourism
sector will increase from 89,000 in 2017 to 185,000 in 2025. However, there is no explanation as to
how the added 96,000 jobs will be created in the span of six years, how they will be distributed among
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 37
the different sub-sectors of the tourism industry, and which tourism businesses and services will
absorb them.
• Lebanon Economic Recovery Plan (2020): In light of the critical economic and financial crisis, the
Government of Lebanon published an Economic Recovery Plan in 2020 aimed at revitalizing the
economy and adopting policy reforms. The tourism sector was mentioned in the study as one of the
main sectors that could ensure foreign currency for the country, but it did not elaborate on the
needed reforms to unlock tourism potentials, nor did it specify which tourism forms should be further
developed and promoted.
III.5.2 DONORS ASSISTANCE
• USAID Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development - LIVCD (2013-2017): The LIVCD
program implemented 27 rural tourism projects benefiting municipalities, unions of municipalities,
nature reserves and NGOs, in addition to the elaboration of the National Rural Tourism Strategy.
The projects aimed to upgrade the rural tourism industry and bring economic benefits for rural
communities through: 1) Creating new rural tourism services and activities and upgrading existing
ones; 2) Promoting rural tourism on the local, regional and national levels; and 3) Establishing
linkages among the rural tourism value chain stakeholders.
• USAID Building Alliances for Local Advancement, Development & Investment -
BALADI (2012-2020): The BALADI program supported local stakeholders (municipalities, NGOs,
faith-based organizations) to improve their resilience in providing transparent, quality services to
communities across Lebanon. Among the 59 implemented projects, 24 projects focused on
ecotourism and rural tourism at the village level. (www.baladi-lebanon.org)
• USAID Lebanon Enterprise Development - LED (2018-2022): The LED program organized
two international conferences on tourism resilience and digital transformation in the tourism
industry, in addition to a promotional activity through producing videos for social media on the
culinary heritage of Lebanon with a renowned international food blogger. Recently, LED gave a grant
to GWR, a certification company, to provide technical support to nearly 50 restaurants in the field
of public health and COVID-19 measures. LED also gave another grant to hospitality services to
organize 12 online webinars on different issues related to the sector.
• USAID Community Support Program - CSP (2018-2022): CSP is working on village-based
development projects in partnership with municipalities and cooperatives. It is supporting rural
tourism projects initiated by municipalities in partnership with local NGOs.
• USAID Trade and Investment Facilitation - TIF (2020-2025): The TIF program targets the
ICT, agro-food, manufacturing, and tourism sectors.
• USAID Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods - PSL (2020-2025): The PSL project aims to
improve the livelihoods of residents of target municipalities through training, technical assistance,
infrastructure rehabilitation, and marketing and improve and upgrade existing assets in their
municipalities with a focus on agriculture and rural tourism. The PSL is implemented across seven
clusters gathering 105 municipalities.
• European Union: The European Union funded several projects aiming to promote sustainable
development with tourism and heritage components. Over 10 tourism and heritage projects are
being implemented under the European Neighborhood Initiative (ENI) and the Cross Border
Cooperation in the Mediterranean mechanism (CBC-MED). These projects involve partners from
different Mediterranean countries and aim to create regional networks for sustainable tourism
management such as the Mediterranean Ecotourism Experience Network (MEET), the
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 38
Mediterranean Sustainable and Adventure Tourism (MEDUSA), Cultural Routes for Sustainable
Social and Economic Development in the Mediterranean (CROSSDEV), and the iHERITAGE: ICT
Mediterranean platform for UNESCO cultural heritage. (www.enicbcmed.eu)
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): UNDP, in partnership with local
organizations and municipalities, implements several projects and initiatives aiming to promote
sustainable tourism services and activities under different programs such as the Lebanon Host
Communities Support Programme (LHSP).
• Italian Cooperation: The Italian Cooperation implements several projects targeting cultural
tourism and ecotourism. These projects fall under the economic development, environment, and
heritage preservation and valorization programs. One of the most important projects funded by the
Italian Cooperation in the last few years is the Cultural and Religious Tourism (CRT) project aiming
to promote Lebanon’s religious heritage and to integrate it in the tourism value chain.
(www.culturalreligioustourism.com)
III.6 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM TYPOLOGY AND ANALYSIS
III.6.1 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM TYPES
Even though there are similarities and common grounds between some rural and nature-based tourism
types, the tourism market distinguishes based on specific characteristics, principles and criteria related
to the types of attractions, services and activities offered for the travelers (Figure 9).
The UNWTO defines Rural Tourism as “a type of tourism activity in which the visitor’s experience is
related to a wide range of products generally linked to nature-based activities, agricultural and culinary
heritage, rural lifestyle, culture and sightseeing. Rural Tourism activities take place in non-urban (rural)
areas with the following characteristics: 1) Low population density; 2) Landscape and land use dominated
by agriculture and forestry; and 3) Traditional social structure and lifestyle11.”
There is no universal definition for nature-based tourism, but tourism professionals and scholars
agree that it concerns any type of tourism that relies on experiences directly related to natural sites. It
includes adventure tourism, ecotourism, wildlife tourism, and geo-tourism. The analysis of rural and
nature-based tourism in Lebanon in this study focuses on ecotourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism,
gastronomy and wine tourism.
11
https://www.unwto.org/rural-mountain-tourism
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 39
FIGURE 9: RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM TYPES
Source: Author
III.6.2 ECOTOURISM
Ecotourism definition: Ecotourism is defined by the International Ecotourism Society as “responsible
travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and
involves interpretation and education”12. Thus, ecotourism differs from other forms of nature-based
tourism in that its core ideology is to promote education and awareness of the environment and
heritage, help finance future conservation, and improve the well-being of local people and the
environment. According to the UNWTO’s definition13, ecotourism refers to forms of tourism that have
the following characteristics:
1. All nature-based forms of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourists is the observation
and appreciation of nature as well as the traditional cultures prevailing in natural areas.
2. It contains educational and interpretation features.
3. It is generally, but not exclusively organized by specialized tour operators for small groups. Service
provider partners at the destinations tend to be small, locally owned businesses.
4. It minimizes negative impacts upon the natural and socio-cultural environment.
5. It supports the maintenance of natural areas which are used as ecotourism attractions by:
▪ Generating economic benefits for host communities, organizations and authorities managing
natural areas with conservation purposes
▪ Providing alternative employment and income opportunities for local communities
▪ Increasing awareness towards the conservation of natural and cultural assets
12 https://ecotourism.org/ties-overview/ 13 https://www.unwto.org/sustainable-development/ecotourism-and-protected-areas
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 40
Ecotourism resources and attractions in Lebanon
Based on the international definitions and principles of ecotourism, especially with regards to
conservation and education, the main resources for this type of tourism in Lebanon are the different
categories of protected areas. By the end of 2020 the existing classification of protected areas in
Lebanon included:
National recognition
• 18 nature reserves designated by law and supervised by the Ministry of Environment
• 21 protected natural sites and 8 river basins designated by a decision of the Ministry of Environment
• 15 protected forests designated by a decision of the Ministry of Agriculture
• 14 protected touristic sites designated by a decision of the MOT, covering cultural heritage,
archeological, and historical monuments (Annex.3 Protected touristic sites)
• 25 Hima designated by municipal decisions and supported by a national NGO
• Over 10 private natural sites and forests protected by their owners and/or NGOs
International recognition
• 3 biosphere reserves nominated by the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme14
• 15 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) nominated by BirdLife International
• 4 Wetlands of International Importance (WIIs) nominated under the Ramsar Convention15
In addition to the different categories of protected areas, nearly 40 other natural landscapes and sites
(specifically geo-sites and forests) remain without any form of protection and are facing many
environmental threats (Annex 4. Natural sites in need of protection).
The existence of many protected areas and natural sites in Lebanon does not necessarily mean that they
can be automatically considered ecotourism attractions. In fact, an ecotourism attraction needs to be
well protected, accessible, managed, and needs to offer services and activities with educational and
awareness components for its visitors. Most importantly, monitoring human activities and limiting the
negative impact of visitors on biodiversity and ecosystems should be ensured in ecotourism attractions
according to the ecotourism principles.
Nature reserves
Among the 18 nature reserves of Lebanon, only three are coastal/marine reserves and 15 are located in
mountainous and forested areas (Figure 10). These nature reserves constitute around 3% of the total
surface area of Lebanon (excluding their buffer zones). Despite their small territory, they represent a
multitude of ecosystems distinguished by their different micro-climates that enable them to host a very
important number of endemic, threatened, and emblematic species of both fauna and flora (Table 6).
14 The three UNESCO Biosphere Reserves have the nature reserve and protected natural site/forest national designations, and they include the Shouf Biosphere
Reserve, the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve, and the Jabal El Rihane Biosphere Reserve. The latter [which one?] is not active in the field of ecotourism. 15 The Convention on Wetlands is the oldest of the modern global intergovernmental environmental agreements. The treaty was negotiated through the 1960s by
countries and non-governmental organizations concerned about the increasing loss and degradation of wetland habitat for migratory water birds. It was adopted in
the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and
national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.”
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 41
FIGURE 10: NATURE RESERVES GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION IN LEBANON
Source: Combined by author based on data available on www.moe.gov.lb
TABLE 6: LEBANON’S NATURE RESERVES CHARACTERISTICS
Reserve Area (ha)
Elevation Range (m a.s.l)
Main features International designation
Management plan
Ecotourism plan
Palm Islands 418 Sea level Coastal and marine, aquatic and terrestrial, sandy
and rocky beaches
Ramsar, IBA,
SPAMI* Yes No
Karm Chbat 520 1,400-1,900 High mountain, cedar, fir and juniper trees None No No
Horsh Ehden 1,740 1,200-1,900 High mountainous, mixed forest,
40% of Lebanon’s plant biodiversity IBA Yes Yes
Tannourine
Cedars 196 1,300-1,800
High mountain, 25% of Lebanon’s cedar trees,
geological features, religious heritage IBA Yes Yes
Bentael 75 250-800 Middle mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest, river,
religious heritage IBA Yes Yes
Jaj Cedars 20 1,500-1700 High mountain, cedar trees, geological features
(Karst Lapiaz formations) None No No
Yammouneh 2,100 1,400-2,000 Inland plateau and high mountain, juniper trees,
freshwater marshes, cultural heritage None No No
Chnanaair 27 500-550 Middle mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest None No No
Shouf 15, 647 900-2,000 Middle to high mountain, cedar trees,
Ammiq wetland (in the buffer zone)
UNESCO
Biosphere, IBA Yes Yes
Nmayrieh N/A N/A Middle mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest None No No
Abbassieh
coast N/A Sea level
Coastal and marine, sandy beach, sea turtles nesting
site None No No
Tyre coast 182 Sea level Coastal and marine, sandy beach, sand dunes, sea
turtles nesting site, freshwater spring
Ramsar, IBA
SPAMI Yes No
Wadi Al
Houjair 3,595 250-400
Open valley, river, mixed forest,
freshwater spring None Yes No
Kafra 40 650 Hilly mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest None No No
Ramia 20 650 Hilly mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest None No No
Debel 25 600 Hilly mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest None No No
Beit Lif 20 550 Hilly mountain, mixed Mediterranean forest None No No
Jabal Haramoun
N/A 1,500-2,800 Middle to high mountain, plants and herbs cover,
cultural/religious heritage None No No
Source: www.moe.gov.lb, *SPAMI: Specially Protected Area of Mediterranean Importance
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 42
Many institutions form a fundamental part in nature reserve management in Lebanon, since each has a
different role and level of responsibility. Organizations that are primarily in charge of the direct
management of the site, comprising the preparation and the approval of the general management plan
and other specific plans (including ecotourism plans), are:
• The Ministry of Environment, in charge of supervision and endorsement of the management plans
• The Appointed Protected Area Committee (APAC), which is appointed through a decision from the
Minister of Environment to ensure the overall management of the reserve under the supervision of
the Ministry of Environment. This committee is comprised of volunteer members representing
neighboring municipalities, the district governor or Ca’imacam, local NGOs, and other ministries
including:
- The Ministry of Finance (MoF), which has legal ownership of the public lands over which nature
reserves are created, according to Lebanese law
- The Ministry of Agriculture in the case of the existence of farmers or fishermen operating in the
reserves’ buffer zone
- The Ministry of Public Works and Transport in the case of coastal and marine reserves
- The Ministry of Culture and the Directorate General of Antiquities in the case of the existence
of archeological sites inside the reserve
- The Ministry of Energy and Water in the case of the existence of rivers and water springs.
The APAC appoints a manager and a management team for the reserve, and in some cases the
management is operated by a local NGO, as is the case with the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, or in
coordination with a municipality, as is the case with the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve (TCNR). The
Municipality of Tyre manages the touristic zone of the reserve based on a yearly agreement with the
TCNR committee and the approval of the Minister of Environment.
Nature reserves in Lebanon are usually divided into three zones:
1. A core area or conservation zone with limited to no human activities, with the access to this area
limited to scientific research and ecosystem/biodiversity monitoring
2. A transition zone, where controlled human activities such as ecotourism are allowed but without any
infrastructure installation
3. A buffer zone, where more human activities are allowed, including ecotourism and controlled access
for the local communities to use and/or extract some resources such as farming and harvesting wild
herbs, with the adoption and respect of sustainability practices. Reserve entrances and gate facilities
are usually installed within the buffer zone. In the case of biosphere reserves, a fourth zone is added,
called the development zone, and it covers the surrounding villages of the reserve where local
communities live and practice rural activities.
Seven of the 18 nature reserves in Lebanon have a general management plan and only four have an
ecotourism management plan, in addition to one biosphere reserve, the Jabal Moussa Biosphere
Reserve16. The existence of an ecotourism management plan allows the reserve managers to control and
16 Despite being a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve is not considered a nature reserve in Lebanon. The site is protected by
decisions from the Ministry of Environment as a protected natural site and the Ministry of Agriculture as a protected forest.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 43
monitor visitors and to account for the number of visits17 (Figure 11), as well as other ecotourism
indicators inside the nature reserve and in its surrounding area.
FIGURE 11: NUMBER OF VISITS TO MAJOR NATURE RESERVES IN LEBANON (2016-2020)
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
*2020 figures for Tannourine Reserve are for the first 6 months of the year
The total number of visits to the five nature reserves in the above table that have an access control
system increased from 130,188 in 2016 to 192,701 in 2019 (a 48% increase). Until 2019, the Shouf
Biosphere Reserve remained the main attraction among the five. It holds the highest number of visitors
(61%) due to its large size, advanced management and promotion, availability of services and activities
inside the reserve and in its surrounding villages, and accessibility.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic and consequential lockdowns of 2020 had a very negative impact on
the number of visits to the reserves, with the Shouf Biosphere Reserve registering a 59.3% decrease
compared to 2019, the Bentael Reserve a 47% decrease, and the Tannourine Reserve a 45% decrease in
the first six months of 2020. The pandemic had a slightly negative impact on the Ehden Reserve with a
10% decrease, whereas in Jabal Moussa, the number of visits increased by 35% in 2020 compared to
2019. These variations in the impact of COVID-19 on the number of visitors can be related to the
following factors:
• The Shouf Reserve lost a major market segment represented by large groups of organized
school/student visits.
• Despite its proximity to Beirut and strategic location, being 7 kilometers away from Byblos, the
Bentael Reserve suffered from a lack of school/student visits and the absence of a solid ecotourism
promotion and communications plan.
17 The number of visits is not necessarily equal to the number of visitors. The same person can visit a nature reserve or any other natural/touristic site several times
per year; in this case he/she is considered a repeater.
87,08891,020
105,173
118,404
48,187
18,24720,182
28,647 29,711
40,093
14,703 15,86016,953
21,130
5,8558,00012,000
16,00020,000 18,000
2,150 2,459 1,800 3,456 1,8210
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
100,000
110,000
120,000
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Shouf Biosphere Reserve Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve
Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve* Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve
Bentael Nature Reserve
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 44
• The Tannourine Reserve suffered from the absence of a solid ecotourism promotion plan and
professional communications material, in addition to the deterioration of road infrastructure leading
to the reserve over the last few years.
• The Ehden Reserve was able to maintain the number of visits due to the increasing number of
people who moved to live permanently in their villages in Zgharta during 2020, and who benefited
from their proximity to the nature reserve to visit, even to experience it for the first time,
according to the Reserve manager.
• The Jabal Moussa Reserve was the only one to register a positive growth in the number of visits due
to its proximity to the main source market for domestic ecotourism in Lebanon – Beirut,
Kesrouane and Matn – and the need for the aforementioned areas’ residents to experience a quick
escape to nature. The growth is also due to the diversification of trail offers in the last three years.
This increase in the number of visitors constituted a challenge for the reserve managers in terms of
properly monitoring visitors’ impact and providing them with hiking guides if needed. The
overcrowding at one of the most famous entrances of the reserve in Chouane, especially in
springtime, pushed the management to limit the access to the site to pre-online reservation using
Google forms.
Bentael and Jabal Moussa are the only nature reserves where visitors’ data is segregated by age. On
average, the last five years in Bentael show that the category of visitors aged below 18 constitutes the
highest number of visitors (64 %), followed by 22% for ages between 18 and 35, 12% for ages between
36 and 55, and only 2% for those over 55 years old. These figures are justified by the premise that
Bentael Reserve is a destination for organized school groups as well as for families and their children
because of the presence of a child-friendly nature park at the entrance. In Jabal Moussa, age segregation
is carried out for only two categories: below 16 years old (20% of the visitors, mainly school students in
organized groups) and above 16 years old (80% of the visitors). None of the reserves segregate visitors
by nationality. Thus, nature reserve managers consider that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, around
90% of the visitors were from the domestic market and 10% were international tourists.
As a matter of fact, in 98% of the visitors in 2020 were from the domestic market. In terms of
seasonality, four nature reserves tally the number of visits per month. The seasonality pattern observed
in these four reserves is presented in Table 7, taking into consideration the average number of visits per
month for the period 2016-2020.
TABLE 7: NUMBER OF VISITS AND SEASONALITY (AVERAGE OF 2016-2020)
Reserve
Percentage of visits in
the high season
April to September
Percentage of visits in
the low season
October to March
Top three
months of
visitation
Top month of
visitation
Percentage of
visits during top
month
Month with
lowest number
of visits
Shouf Biosphere 70% 30% July, August
September August 18% December
Jabal Moussa
Biosphere 79% 21%
June, July
September July 18% January
Tannourine 82% 18% July, August
September August 21% January
Bentael 72% 28% May, June
August May 23% January
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
The above table shows that seasonality patterns are primarily related to weather conditions. Reserves
located at a high elevation range such as Tannourine and the Shouf receive their highest number of
visitors in the summer season, specifically in the month of August. The Jabal Moussa Reserve located
between middle and high mountains receives its highest number of visitors in June, July and September,
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 45
whereas the Bentael Reserve, which is located at a lower altitude, receives the highest number of
visitors in the month of May. December and January have the lowest number of visitors in all the
reserves. Table 8 and Table 9 show the available infrastructures, services, activities and projects available
in the major nature reserves in Lebanon that welcome visitors regardless as to whether they have a
general management plan or an ecotourism plan18.
18 Detailed information on some reserves can be found on their websites: www.shoufcedar.org; www.horshehden.com [page nonexistent]; www.arztannourine.org
[URL expired]; www.jabalmoussa.org; www.bentaelreserve.org; www.tcnr-leb.com.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 46
TABLE 8: LEBANON’S NATURE RESERVES INFRASTUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES
Reserve Office Staff Guides and rangers Access control Gate facility Other infrastructure
and resources Number of delineated trails and length Activities and events
Palm Islands None None None None19 None None None Swimming, snorkeling, diving
walking, bird watching
Horsh Ehden Yes 5
Permanent:
2 rangers, 10 guides
Seasonal:
10 rangers, 10 guides
Yes 2
Souvenir shop
Native trees nursery
9 inside the reserve (including 1
educational trail)
Length: 13 km
4 km suitable for people with reduced
mobility and biking
2 connecting the reserve to neighboring
village
Length: N/A
LMT sections 5-6
Hiking*, mountain biking,
climbing, caving, snowshoeing*,
ski touring, bird watching
wildlife observation*, star
gazing, reforestation events,
painting events, photography
events
Tannourine Cedars Yes 1
Permanent:
2 rangers, 1 guide
Seasonal:
3 guides
Yes 1
Souvenir and local
products shop
4 inside the reserve (including 1
educational trail)
Length: 10 km
6 connecting the reserve to
neighboring village
Length: 89 km
5 km suitable for biking
LMT section 9
Hiking, cycling/biking*,
snowshoeing*, ski touring, bird
watching, wildlife observation
star gazing
Bentael Yes 1
Permanent:
1 ranger, 1 guide
Seasonal:
5 rangers, 5 guides
Yes 2
Children’s park and
playground
Restaurant (closed)
8 inside the reserve
Length: 10 km
Hiking, adventure park with zip-
line and rope games for children
Jaj Cedars None None Seasonal:
2 rangers None None None
1 inside
the reserve
Length: 2 km
Hiking
Chnanaair None None Seasonal:
1 ranger Yes 1 None
1 inside
the reserve
Length: 3 km
Hiking
Shouf Biosphere Yes 15
Permanent:
7 rangers, 15 guides
Seasonal:
16 guides
4 Internal Security
members supporting
the reserve in law
enforcement
Yes 6
5 souvenir and local
products shops
1 picnic area
4 farmers’ markets
1 grape press
1 restaurant (managed
by Souk El Tayeb)
Online shop
21 inside the reserve (including 1
educational trail)
Length: ~200 km
1 km suitable for people with reduced
mobility
11 connecting the reserve to
neighboring village
Length: ~200 km
LMT sections
17-18-19-20
Hiking, cycling/biking*, climbing*,
Snowshoeing*, ski touring, bird
watching*, wildlife observation*,
horseback riding, star gazing,
reforestation events, thematic
trail walks, artistic events, trail
running events, village festivals
Jabal Moussa
Biosphere Yes 7
Permanent:
6 rangers, 18 guides
Seasonal:
2 rangers, 3 guides
Yes 3
3 souvenir and local
products shops
Online shop
15 inside
the reserve
Length: 38.4 km
Hiking*
Snowshoeing*
Tyre coast Yes 4 N/A Partial in the
touristic zone No
Turtles rescue center
Sea patrol boat None
Walking, swimming, snorkeling
diving, sea turtle observation
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
*Equipment for activity available for rent and/or sale at the facility gate
19
Despite the inexistence of access control to the Palm Islands by the reserve management, there is a Lebanese Army security checkpoint in the Tripoli Port for any fishing or recreational boat sailing
towards the islands.
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TABLE 9: LEBANON’S NATURE RESERVES DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION
Reserve Surrounding villages
Cooperation with
municipalities and local
authorities
Cooperation with
NGOs Ecotourism development projects
Cooperation
with local tour
operators and
tour organizers
Types and number of
accommodation services
in surrounding villages
Types and number of
F&B/farmers/agro-tourism
services in surrounding
villages
Palm Islands Tripoli, Qalamoun None IUCN None None N/A N/A
Horsh
Ehden
Ehden, Bchenneta,
Toula, Basloukit
Yes
(Mainly with Zgharta-
Ehden Municipality)
~30, including
LMTA, LRI
Previous: Improving the competitiveness
of rural tourism in Lebanon
Ongoing: none
~20
2 guesthouses
2 camping sites
20 bungalows
8 hotels
2 resorts
3 religious lodgings
30 restaurants and snack
bars
1 winery
7 cooperatives
2 processors
5 shepherds
4 beekeepers
1 agro-tourism project
Tannourine
Cedars
Tannourine, Chatine, Hadath
El Jebbeh, Niha, Kfour El
Aarbeh
Yes
(Mainly with
Tannourine
Municipality)
~5, including
LMTA, Tannour
w Nour, RMF, LRI
Previous: creation of hiking trails to link
the reserve to the village, funded by
USAID-BALADI project
Creation of the educational trail,
funded by the LMTA
Ongoing: none
N/A
3 guesthouses
1 camping site
6 bungalows
3 hotels
N/A
Bentael Bentael, Kfar Mashoun,
Behdaydat, Eddeh
No municipalities exist
in the neighboring
villages
~5, including Al
Hourouf local
NGO, local
scouts, religious
communities,
and LRI
Previous: Green Shell restaurant funded
by USAID-BALADI project
Ongoing: creation of news trails with
LRI, funded by UNDP
~5 1 guesthouse
3 bungalows
1 restaurant
2 snack bars
1 winery
10 beekeepers
4 processors
2 shepherds
Jaj Cedars Jaj, Tartej, Qottara, Saqi
Rechmaya, Lehfed, Ehmej None
~3, including
Jouzour Loubnan N/A N/A N/A N/A
Chnanaair Chnanaair, Ghosta, Maarab,
Ghazir, Sahel Aalma
Union of Kesrouane
Municipalities None None None N/A N/A
Shouf
Shouf: Bmahray, Ain Zhalta,
Barouk, Maasser El Shouf,
Khreibet El Shouf, Mristi, Jbaa,
Niha. Beqaa: Machghara,
Aintanit, Bab Marae, Saghbine,
Ain Zebdeh, Kherbet Qanafar,
Kefraya, Aana, Aammiq Qab
Elias
Yes, with all
municipalities and
agricultural/
women cooperatives
~20 including
LMTA, LRI
+10 implemented projects
2 ongoing projects
~5
18 guesthouses (303
beds)
5 camping sites
7 bungalows
(14 beds)
4 hotels
2 resorts
16 restaurants
6 snack bars
6 table d’hôtes
2 wineries
18 cooperatives
3 shepherds
3 beekeepers
2 agro-tourism projects
Jabal
Moussa
Yahchouch, Ghbaleh, Nahr El
Dehab, Jour El Thermos,
Qahmez, Chouane, Al Ebri
Yes ~20 including
LMTA, LRI
+10 implemented projects
2 ongoing projects
~40
4 guesthouses
5 bungalows
1 camping site
44 beekeepers
Tyre coast
Sour, Borj El Chemali, Deir
Qanoun El Ain, Batoulay, Ain
Baal
Yes ~10 including
IUCN, ADR
2 implemented projects
2 ongoing projects
3 N/A N/A
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
* Equipment for activity available for rent and/or sale at the facility gate
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 48
Based on the data collected from the reserves’ managers and previous field observations, the following
can be concluded:
• The Shouf Biosphere Reserve is the most advanced in terms of management, availability of services
and activities, and the capacity to implement ecotourism projects as well as other rural and
conservation projects. With its strong network of partners and in close collaboration with local
communities, the reserve is acting as an informal Destination Management Organization (DMO)
covering not only the eight neighboring villages in the Shouf, but the entire upper area and mountain
villages of the Shouf, in addition to some villages in the Beqaa like Aammiq, Qab Elias, Aitanit,
Kefraya and Ain Zebdeh.
• The Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve accomplished great achievements in the last five years and has
positioned itself as a pioneer destination for ecotourism. The reserve team is focusing on the seven
villages in the reserve’s buffer zone.
• The Horsh Ehden, Tannourine and Bentael Reserves are making slow progress but have great
potential to better develop and promote ecotourism, as well to contribute to local socio-economic
development in the surrounding villages.
Protected natural sites and river basins
The 21 protected natural sites and eight river basins designated by decisions of the Ministry of
Environment are all destinations for nature-based tourism activities, particularly hiking, camping, and
sightseeing (Table10). The majority cannot be considered as ecotourism destinations due to one or
many of the following reasons:
• Absence of management organizations, management plans, and ecotourism plans
• Absence of access control and visitors’ impact monitoring
• Inexistence of organized services and activities
• Inexistence of environmental education and awareness activities
• Existence of large-scale infrastructures and mass tourism in some of the sites
• Limited participation and involvement of local communities in the management of the site
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 49
TABLE 10: LEBANON’S PROTECTED NATURAL SITES AND RIVER BASINS
Site Main features Mohafazat Caza Decision no. Year
Al Qammoua area Mountain plateau, conifers forest Akkar - 19 2002
Al Makmel Mountain and Black Peak
(Qornet El Sawda)
Summit/peak, highland, rangeland plateau, water reservoir, snow cover, geological
features North Lebanon
Donnieh
Bcharreh 187 1998
Qadisha Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site (cultural category), river, Maronite religious heritage with historical and old monasteries and shrines, dense mixed forests, agricultural
terraces
North Lebanon Zgharta Bcharreh
151 1997
Al Qaraqir Valley River basin, mixed dense forest, agricultural terraces North Lebanon Zgharta 21 2002
Baatara Gorge in Chatine Geo-site, waterfall, sinkhole North Lebanon Batroun 8 2004
Ehmej natural site Forest, geological landforms Mount Lebanon Byblos 2878 2016
Coastal front rocks of Wata Slam Coastal ecosystem, geological feature Mount Lebanon Kesrouane 200 1997
Jabal Moussa Mixed forest, cultural heritage, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and protected forest by the Ministry of Agriculture
Mount Lebanon Kesrouane 7494 2012
Faqra natural stone bridge Geo-site, landmark Mount Lebanon Kesrouane 15/1 1995
Kassarat Grotto, Nabaieh Grotto, geo-site Mount Lebanon Matn 11949 2014
Forests of Ain El Hour – Daraya –
Debbiyeh – Berjein – Sheikh Osman – Deir El Moukhales – Ain w Zein – Dalboun
Valleys of Al Mal and Ainbal Kfara wells
Mediterranean mixed forests, valley and old wells Mount Lebanon Shouf 132 1998
Dalhoun forest Mediterranean mixed forest Mount Lebanon Shouf 22 2002
Rivers
Arka River River basin, cultural heritage Akkar - 188 1998
Al Jawz River River basin, cultural heritage North Lebanon Koura Batroun
22 1998
Ibrahim River River basin, cultural heritage Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Byblos
34 1997
Al Kalb River River basin, cultural heritage Mount Lebanon Kesrouane
Matn 97 1998
Al Damour River River basin Mount Lebanon Shouf 29 1998
Beirut River River basin, IBA Mount Lebanon Matn Baabda
130 1998
Al Awali River River basin South Lebanon Sidon 131 1998
Al Assi River River basin Baalbeck-Hermel Hermel 189 1998
Source: http://www.moe.gov.lb/protectedareas/categories.htm
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Table 11 presents the rural and nature based-tourism characteristics of Lebanon’s main protected natural sites and river basins.
TABLE 11: LEBANON’S PROTECTED NATURAL SITES AND RIVER BASINS
Site Main activities Access control
Infrastructure and services in the site and the surrounding area Role of municipalities and local communities
Potential to shift towards ecotourism*
Al Qammoua area
Hiking, camping No LMT sections 1-2, LMT guides and informal local guides Basic accommodation and F&B services with low-average quality of services
Private initiative by local youth groups such as Akkar Trail NGO
Medium
Qadisha valley – UNESCO World
Heritage site
Hiking, pilgrimage and spiritual
retreats
No
LMT sections 6-7, LMT guides and informal local guides Randomly blazed trails Informal and unorganized transportation systems from the villages to the valley
Good number of accommodation and F&B services in the villages with average to good quality of services
Increased awareness for the need to better protect and manage
tourism in the valley
High
Al Makmel
Mountain and Black Peak (Qornet El
Sawda)
Hiking, camping off-road, ski
touring, ski mobile, snowshoeing
No LMT section 8, LMT guides and informal local guides
Al Arz Ski Resort
Conflictual situation between municipalities regarding water resources use
Low
Al Qaraqir Valley Hiking, camping,
canyoning No
Basic accommodation and F&B services with medium to good quality of services
(Can be linked to Ehden Nature Reserve through hiking trail) None Low
Baatara Gorge in Chatine
Hiking, zip-line and ropes activities,
caving, climbing
Yes LMT section 10 and LMT-Douma side trail, LMT guides and informal local guides Poorly designed and unsustainable basic infrastructure
The site is managed by a local
NGO; the municipality is not active. Predominance of mass tourism
Medium
Ehmej natural
site
Hiking, children’s
park, snowshoeing, ski touring
No
LMT-Ehmej side trail, LMT guides and local guides Local network of blazed trails Micro-reserve for endemic species dedicated to research
Good number of accommodation and F&B services in the villages with average to good quality of services; proximity to Baatara Gorge, St. Charbel shrine in Annaya, the Laklouk ski resort and Laklouk plateau with a good number of
resorts and hotels
Increased awareness for the need
to better protect and manage tourism in the valley
High
Faqra natural
stone bridge Hiking, sightseeing Yes
LMT section 12, LMT guides and local guides
Large number of accommodation and F&B services with good-high quality of services Proximity to Mzar ski slopes Climbing and abseiling used to be practiced on and next to the site, but it was
banned by the Municipality of Kfardebiane. It could be revived under strict measures to ensure sustainability and environmental protection
Increased awareness for the need to better protect and manage
tourism in the valley, but predominance of mass tourism
Medium
Al Jawz River Hiking No Ongoing creation of hiking trails network along the riverbanks Limited awareness and knowledge about ecotourism
Medium
Ibrahim River Hiking, camping No
Good number of accommodation and F&B services in the villages with average
to good quality of services Organized and controlled access exists only in Chouane village under the management of Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve
None for municipalities Few private initiatives in Qartaba
Low, except for Chouane site
Al Kalb River None No Kayaking and rafting competitions used to be organized in Nahr El Kalb by clubs and the rafting federation
None Low
Al Assi River Rafting, camping No Basic accommodation and F&B services with low quality of services Formal and informal rafting clubs
None Low
Source: Combined by author, based on key informant interviews and previous field observations and visits to the sites
* The potential to shift towards more sustainable tourism and/or ecotourism is related to the readiness and willingness of municipalities and local communities to adopt and launch this process.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 51
Protected forests
Lebanon’s protected forests designated by decisions of the Ministry of Agriculture are all destinations
for nature-based tourism activities, particularly hiking and camping (Table12).
TABLE 12: LEBANON’S PROTECTED FORESTS
Forest Trees and other characteristics Mohafazat Caza Decision no. Year
Al Qammoua Cedars, fir, juniper Akkar - 588 1996
Karm Chbat Cedars, fir, juniper Akkar - 589 1996
Bezbina Cedars, fir, juniper, oak Akkar - 591 1996
Sfineh Oak Akkar - 10 1997
Mrabbine and Wadi Jhannam Cedar, fire, juniper Akkar - 11 1997
Ain El Hokaylat and Qornet El Keif Cedars, fir, juniper, oak North Lebanon Donnieh 8 1997
Jord El Najs and Jabal El Arbaeen Cedars and juniper North Lebanon Donnieh 9 1997
Qnat Mixed North Lebanon Bcharreh 592 1996
Arz Bcharreh Cedars (part of Qadisha UNESCO World Heritage Site), religious
heritage
North Lebanon Bcharreh
499 1996 Hadath El Jebbeh Cedars North Lebanon Bcharreh
Tannourine Cedars North Lebanon Batroun
Jaj Cedars, karst geological formation, religious heritage
Mount Lebanon Byblos
Bkassine Pine South Lebanon Jezzine 3 1997
Chebaa valley Oak Nabatieh Hasbaya 174 1997
Cedar forest in Swaysi area Cedar and juniper Baalbeck-Hermel Hermel 587 1996
Source: http://www.moe.gov.lb/protectedareas/categories.htm
Similar to protected natural sites, protected forests cannot be considered ecotourism destinations
except for:
• The Arz Bcharreh cedars forest, which is annexed to the Qadisha UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The forest has access control with a short hiking trail. Despite its small area, the forest attracts a
large number of visitors due to its emblematic millenary cedar trees and spiritual value. Intensive
reforestation efforts have been taking place since the late 1990s in the arid lands surrounding the
area.
• The Hadath El Jebbeh forest, which constitutes an extension of the Tannourine cedars nature
reserve. The forest has two blazed hiking and snowshoeing trails. It is relatively well protected and
managed by the municipality and the local community members. There is no access control to this
forest.
• The Bkassine forest, which is the largest productive pine tree forest in the Middle East. It is owned
and managed by the Municipality of Bkassine. The LMT-Jezzine side trail passes through the forest
where hikers and nature lovers can spend time and/or sleep in a high-end forest resort.
Hima and IBAs
According to the SPNL, a Lebanese NGO specialized in nature conservation, the Hima is a community-
based approach used for the conservation of sites, species, habitats, and people in order to achieve the
sustainable use of natural resources. It originated over 1,500 years ago when it was spread along the
Arab Peninsula as a “tribal” system of sustainable management of natural resources. It was applied as a
system for organizing, maintaining, regulating, and utilizing natural pasture and rangelands in a way fitting
with ecosystems and local practices. It evolved with Islam, adding to it values and rules. Hima
management and decisions are made by the local communities themselves. SPNL is reviving the Hima
approach in collaboration with municipalities in order to promote the conservation of IBAs and
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 52
conserve the sustainable use of natural resources, among which ecotourism activities are introduced to
the Hima (Figure 12 and Figure 13).
FIGURE 12: LEBANON’S HIMA MAP FIGURE 13: LEBANON’S IBAS MAP
Source: https://issuu.com/spnl/docs/spnl_annual_report_2019
Ecotourism development in the 25 Hima of Lebanon varies from one region to another depending on
the level of involvement of municipalities and local communities, as well as the support provided by
SPNL and other local and national NGOs. The following table details the Hima across Lebanon.
TABLE 13: LEBANON’S HIMA
Hima Main features Municipalities/local
communities involvement
Level of ecotourism
development*
Menjez – Akkar Forest, archeological and religious heritage High High
Aandaket – Akkar Mixed forest, valley Medium Inexistence of visitors/activities
Charbine – Akkar Cedar and juniper forest Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Maabour El Arid - Akkar Cedar and juniper forest Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Anfeh – Koura, North Lebanon Marine, coastal biodiversity, traditional salinas High Medium
Byblos – Byblos, Mount Lebanon Marine and coastal biodiversity, sandy beach Medium Low
Akoura – Byblos, Mount Lebanon Highland, rangeland, juniper tress Medium Low
Tarchich – Baabda, Mount Lebanon Highland, rangelands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Ras El Maten – Baabda, Mount Lebanon Pine forest, valley Medium Low
Hammana – Baabda, Mount Lebanon Highland, geo-sites, waterfall High High
Kayfoun – Aley, Mount Lebanon Mixed forest Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Kfarmatta – Aley, Mount Lebanon Mixed forest, river, geo-site Medium Low
Qaitouleh – Jezzine, South Lebanon Pine forest Medium Inexistence of visitors/activities
Roum – Jezzine, South Lebanon Pine forest Medium Inexistence of visitors/activities
Qolaileh – Tyre, South Lebanon Sandy beach, sea turtles nesting site Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Mansourih – Tyre, South Lebanon Sandy beach, sea turtles nesting site Medium High
Ibl El Saqi – Marjayoun, Nabatieh Pine forest Medium Inexistence of visitors/activities
Qaraoun – West Beqaa, Beqaa Lake, agricultural plain High Inexistence of visitors/activities
Aitanit – West Beqaa, Beqaa Lake, agricultural lands, rangelands High Inexistence of visitors/activities
Ain Zebdeh – West Beqaa, Beqaa Highland, rangelands High Inexistence of visitors/activities
Kherbet Qanafar – West Beqaa, Beqaa Agricultural land, rangelands Medium Inexistence of visitors/activities
Anjar – Zahle, Beqaa Wetland, river and forest High Medium
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 53
Kfar Zabad – Zahle Beqaa Wetland and agricultural lands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
West Baalbeck – Zahle, Beqaa Rangelands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Fekha – West Beqaa, Beqaa Rangelands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Source: Combined by author, based on key informant interviews and previous field observations and visits to the sites
* The level of ecotourism development is related to the respect of ecotourism principles by local authorities and visitors.
Despite the existence of 15 IBAs assessed and officially declared by the international NGO BirdLife
International, in addition to several other sites suitable for bird watching, this activity is underexplored
in Lebanon. Even though some nature reserves and Hima claim that they offer bird watching for their
visitors, it is not done in a consistent and professional way. There is a lack of professional guides and
dedicated sites, as well as a lack of equipment and material. On the other hand, the Association for Bird
Conservation in Lebanon (ABCL) and the Lebanon Birdwatching Tours initiative are trying to promote
the activity for environmental awareness and educational purposes.
Private natural sites
Among a dozen of privately protected natural sites and forests, the Domaine de Taanayel20 offers
different types of nature-based tourism activities including hiking, biking, zip-lining, agro-tourism, a
farmers’ market, and many other nature-based and cultural events, noting that the majority of the
services and activities in the Domaine are accessible for people with reduced mobility21. The Domaine is
one of the most visited natural sites in Lebanon due to its large surface area, easy access, its suitability
for all ages and profiles, the high level of safety for families with children, its comprehensive services, a
wide variety of activities adapted to all ages, and a unique agricultural and natural landscape with its
attractive lake. The number of visits to the Domaine increased form 153,916 in 2016 to 183,484 in
2018; however, it registered a significant decrease by 27% in 2019 compared to 2018 due to the political
unrest of the last three months of the year and the road blockages in the Beqaa area. In 2020, the
number of visitors decreased by 50% compared to 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and several
lockdowns, and the subsequent closure of the site for long periods of time.
Geo-tourism is essentially “geological tourism”. The geological element focuses on geology and landscape and includes both
geological formations such as landforms, rock outcrops, rock types, sediments, caves, soils and crystals, and geological
processes such as volcanism, erosion, glaciation, etc. Geo-tourism includes tourist visiting, learning from, appreciating and
engaging in geo-sites. It is an integral part of UNESCO’s Global Geoparks program and is essential to geoparks development.
Geo-tourism adds to ecotourism’s principal focus on plants (flora) and animals (fauna) by adding a third dimension of the
physical and geological environment. Geo-tourism is growing around the world through the growth of UNESCO-designated
geoparks as well as independently in many natural areas22. Despite the rich geological features of Lebanon (hundreds of grottos,
caves, rock cavities, deep valleys, sinkholes, mountain and coastal cliffs, geological faults, and distinctive landforms/landscapes
from different geological eras) the geo-tourism potential is not explored in Lebanon. Many geological sites and features
constitute natural attractions for the domestic and international market (e.g., Baatara Gorge, Faqra natural stone bridge,
Raouche’s Pigeon Rocks, Jeita grotto, and Qadisha Grotto), yet they are not promoted as geo-tourism sites. On the other
hand, the Shouf Biosphere Reserve applied for the designation of a UNESCO Geopark in the Niha region and the Union of
Zgharta Municipalities is in the process of preparing a study to apply for the designation of a UNESCO Geopark in Ehden and
its surrounding area.
20 Detailed information about Domaine de Taanayel can be found on https://www.arcenciel.org/activities/domaine-de-taanayel/ 21 Domaine de Taanayel is managed by the Lebanese NGO Arcenciel, which is specialized in sustainable development including social and technical support for
people with reduced mobility. 22 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/unesco-global-geoparks/
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 54
The MOT’s role in the ecotourism sector is only promotional. The Ministry publishes promotional
material and brochures for the major nature reserves in Lebanon and includes them in the list of natural
sites and destinations23.
III.6.3 ADVENTURE TOURISM
Adventure tourism definition: “Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel
with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.
According to the U.S. based Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), adventure travel may be any
tourist activity, including two of the following three components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange
or interaction and engagement with nature” (Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventuretravel.biz)
Adventure tourism activities are typically grouped into two categories, hard and soft.
• Hard adventures involve extreme and often risky sporting activities in nature and remote areas
such as trekking across rugged terrain, mountain biking, motorized off-roading, spelunking and
caving, paragliding, hot air ballooning, bungee jumping, sky diving, base jumping, rock climbing,
abseiling, climbing a via ferrata, snowboarding, alpine skiing, ski touring, windsurfing, kite-surfing,
scuba diving, free diving, rafting, kayaking, canyoning, playing survival games, and wild camping.
• Soft adventures are leisurely, often educational, and do not involve risky and strenuous activities.
They include backpacking, hiking, camping, orienteering, geocaching, wildlife observation and bird
watching, cycling and biking, river or sea fishing, canoeing, sailing, snorkeling, stand-up paddling,
cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and donkey riding. Other activities such as farm
visits, culinary and wine tours, architectural, historical and archeological tours, and religious/spiritual
pilgrimages are sometimes considered soft adventures, especially when happening in remote areas.
Adventure tourism activities are also classified under categories like land-based sports, air-based sports,
and water-based sports (sea, rivers and lakes), or winter/snow sports and summer sports.
Hard adventure activities in Lebanon
Trekking across rugged terrain and long-distance hiking is practiced mainly on the LMT and along
rugged mountain ranges and summits such as Mount Hermon (or Jabal El Sheikh), Mount Makmel -
Qornet El Saouda summit (in addition to six other summits at over 3,000 meters above sea level), and
Mount Sannine. Trekking and long-distance hiking is sometimes combined with wild camping and
bivouacking. In addition to the LMT thru-hikes (crossing the LMT in one month) organized by the LMTA
twice per year, very few specialized tour operators organize such activities (e.g., 33 North, Ibex, Liban
Trek).
Mountain biking is practiced by very few Lebanese or foreign24 cyclists on an individual level in
Lebanon. There are no tour operators specialized in this activity. The Lebanese Cycling Federation
organizes yearly mountain biking competitions and races for the 16 registered cycling clubs and
independent cyclists. The LMTA mentions on its website the sections that are suitable for mountain
biking and is studying the possibility of promoting this activity on the LMT more professionally.
Spelunking and caving have been practiced in Lebanon since the 1950s. The country is known for its
rich geological heritage, with over 20 caves and a large number of sinkholes and gorges. Today there are
23 MOT promotional brochure for nature reserves and ecotourism:
http://mot.gov.lb/Content/uploads/Publication/200720112300000~reserves%20booklet%20wide.pdf 24 In 2019 the Red Bull athlete Kenny Belaey biked the entire LMT from north to south and produced a short video about his adventure that was published in April
2020 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOcSF-qbO_A&t=1s
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 55
four registered caving clubs and associations25 that organize professional outings to most of Lebanon’s
caves and sinkholes, and expeditions to discover new ones. Their activities are open only for their
members. From a touristic and recreational perspective, caving activities are organized by dozens of
formal tour operators and informal groups/guides. The Roueis cave in Majdel Akoura village is the major
destination for amateur caving.
Paragliding/paramotor has been practiced since the early 1990s in Lebanon. According to Lebanese
law, this outdoor sports activity is organized by clubs registered at the Ministry of Youth and Sports,
supervised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (providing basic safety training), and controlled
by the Lebanese Army (providing a mandatory permit for each flight). There are four registered clubs
for paragliding in Lebanon including Club Thermique, Exit to Nature, Paragliding Lebanon, Cedars
Paragliding School, and three informal clubs that applied for registration at the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, and that operate based on permits from the Lebanese Army26. From a tourism and recreational
perspective, instructors from all clubs provide tandem paragliding and paramotor flights for individuals
(both from the domestic and foreign market). The Ghosta-Jounieh flight overlooking Harissa and the
Jounieh bay is the most popular one. Other locations for paragliding include Meziara, Bcharreh-Cedars,
Laklouk, and Hammana. The access to take-off and landing spots is regulated by the Union of Kesrouane
Municipalities in the case of Ghosta-Jounieh, whereas in the case of Meziara, the lack of control by the
municipality is creating conflict over the use of take-off/landing spots between different clubs/instructors.
Hot air ballooning has witnessed a few trials over the last few years in the Beqaa plains, more
specifically near the Aammiq wetland. This activity is not yet available for recreational and touristic
purposes in Lebanon.
Rock climbing and bouldering is possible as a result of Lebanon’s geological landscape, which offers
spectacular mountain and sea cliffs suitable for the development of climbing and bouldering activities.
Professional rock climbing started in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the development of the first
climbing sites in the villages of Tannourine and Chatine next to the Baatara Gorge by professional
French instructors. Since then, new crags have been bolted all around Lebanon by dozens of local
climbers with the help of foreign climbers visiting or living in Lebanon. Today, there are two official
rock-climbing associations in Lebanon: Rock Climbing Lebanon and the Lebanese Climbing Association
(LCA). The LCA was founded in 2012 with the aim of developing and promoting rock climbing,
mountaineering, and outdoor culture in the country. LCA members work on a voluntary basis to 1)
Introduce and promote rock climbing in different regions, schools, villages; 2) Secure rock climbing areas
in coordination with municipalities; 3) Develop new routes and sectors; 4) Raise awareness on climbing
ethics, safety and best practices; 5) Protect the environment around rock climbing sites; and 6) Organize
yearly competitions and workshops with professionals. According to the LCA, there are 16 climbing and
bouldering sites in Lebanon of different types and grades. The most renowned is in Tannourine, where
the municipality is trying to organize access, guarantee safety, and promote the site as a world-class
destination for climbing27. From a touristic and recreational perspective, very few tour operators and
informal mountain guides organize climbing activities for domestic tourists, whereas international
tourists who practice climbing in Lebanon are mostly professional climbers invited by their Lebanese
25 Spéléo Club du Liban - SCL (http://www.speleoliban.org), Association Libanaise d’Etudes Spéléologiques - ALES (http://www.alesliban.org), Groupe d’Etudes et de
Recherches Souterraines du Liban - GERSL (http://www.cavinglebanon.com), and Spéléo Club de Wadi Al-Arayech. 26 www.clubthermique.org; www.paraglidinglebanon.com 27 Detailed information about the LCA and climbing sites is available on www.lebaneseclimbingassociation.org
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 56
peers or by the two existing associations. In 2015, Red Bull athlete and climber David Lama climbed the
famous Baatara Gorge and produced a video28.
Alpine skiing and snowboarding are practiced in the five ski resorts of Lebanon29. These resorts
welcome a large number of visitors but operate for a short season (two to three months). In the last 10
years, the slopes did not open for two seasons due to insufficient snow cover, which shows their
vulnerability towards climate change.
Ski touring is not well developed and promoted in Lebanon. The activity is practiced by very few
people. Club Thermique is the only organization offering limited ski touring packages for international
tourists (mainly from France, Switzerland, and Austria). Despite the activity’s increasing demand by the
European market, the club is unable to further develop it due to the lack of professional instructors and
mountain guides. On the other hand, the nature multi-sport association PolyLiban (ADPL) has been
promoting ski touring among the Lebanese outdoor communities since its inception in 2008 through the
organization of one-day ski touring events on a non-profit basis.
Ski touring is a type of skiing that takes place in unmarked and unpatrolled areas outside a ski resort. Also known as
backcountry skiing (mostly in the United States), it is a challenging and physically demanding form of skiing, as well as a great
way of exploring remote mountain areas. Ski touring involves going uphill with special skis and boots using sealskins, a piece of
fabric attached to the base of skis to prevent them from sliding back when climbing up a slope. Before skiing downhill, skins are
removed. Ski touring trips can range from a one-day activity to a several-day ski traverse. Multi-day ski touring trips involve high
mountaineering competencies and the ability to spend the night in snow camps or in mountain huts.
Via ferrata is not well developed in Lebanon. There is only one basic site in Akoura that lacks proper
equipment, management, and access control. The site is used by one or two informal mountain guides
who organize this activity for amateurs.
Via ferrata, an Italian term which means “iron path”, is a protected climbing route, built with a steel cable rail fixed to the
rock, metal steps, ladders, suspension bridges, and zip wires. The term defines both the route and the outdoor activity, which
consists of progressing through the via ferrata by using a harness clipped onto the wire. Half-way between scrambling and rock
climbing, via ferratas allow non-expert climbers to reach high altitudes in a safe way, using minimum equipment.
Sea-based sports activities
• Scuba diving is practiced along the Lebanese coast, mainly between Jounieh and Anfeh, as well as in
Tyre. Sea-based activities are organized for the domestic market primarily by clubs affiliated with
major beach resorts and diving centers. The majority of instructors working with these clubs and
centers have international diving licenses and provide diving courses and recreational diving sessions.
There also exists a national federation for diving, the Lebanese Federation of Diving & Rescue, but
no officially registered clubs at the Ministry of Youth and Sports. From a tourism and recreational
perspective, Lebanon is not an attractive destination for diving due to sea water pollution. Few clubs
and diving centers provide recreational diving try-outs.
• Other sea-based water sports such as windsurfing, kite-surfing, stand-up paddling (also considered a
soft adventure activity), and sea kayaking emerged in the last five years in Lebanon, especially with
28 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPIvFFKwXZM 29 Arz ski resort, Kfardebiane Mzar ski resort, Faqra club ski resort, Zaarour ski resort, Laklouk ski resort.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 57
the creation of specialized clubs between Byblos and Batroun. These clubs offer courses and
sessions for the domestic market and organize seasonal events. One tour operator, Routes LB,
organizes sea kayaking and stand-up paddling for recreational purposes in Batroun.
River-based sports activities
• Rafting is one of the most popular summer activities in Lebanon. It is practiced in Al Assi river in
Hermel where nearly10 informal clubs offer recreational rafting activities for thousands of visitors
every year, mostly from the domestic market. These clubs are not affiliated with the Lebanese
Canoe-Kayak Federation since they provide only recreational activities and do not organize races or
competition events.
The federation has doubts about the safety measures adopted by these clubs and considers that they
should be regulated and controlled by the municipality. Recreational and professional canoe-kayak
activities used to be organized in the Litani river in South Lebanon and Al Kalb river in Kesrouane,
but those have stopped in the last few years due to the high levels of pollution in the rivers.
• Canyoning is another freshwater activity practiced in rivers with steep cascades and waterfalls. The
main locations where canyoning is practiced for recreational purpose are Jezzine and Hammana. A
very limited number of professional instructors (approximately 10) and two tour operators (33
North and Lebanese Adventure) offer this activity for amateurs. Other potential locations include
Nahr Ibrahim, Yahchouch, Nahr El Jawz, Wadi El Qraqir, and Akkar.
Wild camping is practiced everywhere in the Lebanese mountains and along riverbanks. Only two tour
operators provide wild winter camps on snow.
Nature-based multi-sport events include biathlons (swimming and running or cycling) and triathlons
(swimming, running and cycling) races organized by the Lebanese Triathlon Federation, and a non-
competitive advanced Polyathlon des Cèdres (sea rafting, swimming, cycling, archery, trekking, and wild
camping) organized by the PolyLiban Association (ADPL) and targeting Lebanese youth and foreigners30.
Motorized off-roading includes 4X4 cars, snowmobiles, ATVs, and UTVs. Snowmobiles, ATVs, and
UTVs are available for rent in mountain areas such as Bcharreh and Kfardebiane. Long-distance guided
tours are organized by informal guides on the Mount Lebanon range. These activities are considered a
source of pollution in the mountains. Their organizers and practitioners tend to have very low sensitivity
towards ecology, and in the region of Bcharreh they constitute a major threat on newly reforested areas
and create conflicts with the municipality and environmental activists.
Soft adventure activities in Lebanon
Hiking and backpacking are by far the most widespread nature-based activities in Lebanon. One-day
hiking excursions are organized every weekend by 10 specialized tour operators and over 70 informal
tour organizers primarily targeting the domestic market. The main hiking destinations and services are:
• The 27 sections of the LMT extending over 470 kilometers in addition to 50 kilometers of LMT side
trails. By the end of 2020, around 90% of the LMT was completely blazed. Since its creation in 2008,
the LMTA has been exerting its efforts on protecting and maintaining the trail in cooperation with
local communities and municipalities. However, due to environmental degradation (open dumpsites,
forest fires, the pavement of agricultural roads, landslides, and the conversion of arable lands into
agricultural lands in a non-sustainable way), the LMTA team has had to deviate and re-delineate
30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S70zl0CIMw&t=4s
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 58
around 300 kilometers of the original trail between 2010 and 2020. The LMT sections are accessible
for free and can be hiked with or without local guides, with or without tour operators/organizers.
There are 27 guides along the LMT (one guide for each section). These guides received a series of
training provided by the LMTA community development committee and by external experts and are
therefore featured as “LMT guides” on the association’s website. Other local guides, hiking guides
and/or mountain guides walk on the LMT without being featured or recognized by the association.
In both cases, local guides, hiking guides, and mountain guides do not have any legal status as is the
case with licensed tour guides working in conventional tourism. The LMTA and USEIL are
cooperating to solve this issue in coordination with the Syndicate of Tourist Guides and the MOT.
While there is an official rate for the licensed tour guides (180,000 LBP per day), local guides and
hiking guides do not have a fixed rate. Before the economic crisis, the majority of local guides were
abiding by fees suggested by the LMTA and ranging between 100,000 LBP and 150,000 LBP. Since
October 2019, local guides have been charging between 150,000 LBP and 500,000 LBP per day,
which is creating confusion on the market.
• Nearly 500 kilometers of delineated trails inside nature reserves and in their buffer areas and
villages. These trails have access control and can be walked with or without nature reserve guides,
and with or without tour operators/organizers. Informal hiking and mountain guides can also access
these trails. The entrance fee to nature reserves and their hiking trails varies between 3,000 LBP and
10,000 LBP per person.
• Over 650 kilometers of trails formally created and delineated by municipalities and local NGOs
using different standards and criteria with limited maintenance and protection, and informal trails
used extensively by tour operators and organizers (excluding the LMT section and trails linking
nature reserves to surrounding villages). These trails are accessible for free and doable with or
without guides and tour operators/organizers (Table 14).
TABLE 14: TRAILS OUTSIDE NATURE RESERVES, AND EXCLUDING LMT SECTIONS/SIDE TRAILS
Caza Trails Approximate length (km)
Blazing/ signage
Management/promotion Protection
Akkar
Droub Wadi Oudine and Wadi Heslnebe between Aandaket and Qobayat
20 Partial Council of Environment Qobayat and LRI
Medium
Akkar trails linking villages, valleys and forests 50 None Akkar Trail NGO Medium
Darb Menjez* 50 None Municipality High
Donnieh Donnieh trails linking villages, valleys and forests 30 None Donnieh Trail group Low
Zgharta
Wadi Qadisha trails
Jabal El Makmel trails
50 Partial
Union of municipalities, Qadisha Heritage
Association, Cedar Mountain Foundation, Qadisha Management
Committee, Maronite church and monasteries
Medium
Bcharreh 25 None None Low
Batroun
Nahr Wadi El Jaouz trail 20 None None Low
Darb El Msayelha 5 None None Medium
Bchaaleh trails* 15 Yes Municipality Medium
Wadi Harba trail 5 None Wadi Harba Association Medium
Byblos
Ishtar trail in Aalmat 8 Yes AFDC Aalmat unit High
Darb Fatre* 6 Yes Municipality of Fatreh Medium
Droub Ghalboun 6 None Municipality of Ghalboun Medium
Ehmej network of trails 20 Partial Municipality of Ehmej
Arz Ehmej Association, LRI High
Akoura lakes trail 10 None None Low
Kesrouane
Kfour thematic trails 10 Yes Municipalities, Kesrouane Union of Municipalities, local NGOs, scouts, LRI
Low to Medium
Wadi El Salib trails 18 Yes
Darb El Qamar 4 Yes
Darb El Sama 3 Partial
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 59
Caza Trails Approximate
length (km)
Blazing/
signage Management/promotion Protection
Darb Hayata 8 Yes
Dabr El Hakleh Dlebta 5 Yes
Darb El Sendyane and Darb Jdoudna in Chahtoul 12 Partial
Darb Chabrouh dam 10 None
Darb Bzoummar 5 Partial
Ouyoun El Simane highland trails 15 None
Matn
Darb El Khinchara* 6 Yes Municipality of Khinchara Medium
Bekfaya El Naas trail 8 None Municipality of Bekfaya Low
Dhour El Choueir trail 6 Partial Municipality of Choueir High
Sannine summit trail 12 None None Low
Tarik El Atrak Broummana 6 None None Low
Baabda
Dard Arsoun, Deir El Harf, El Kneisseh 20 None None Low
Falougha Kneisseh summit trail 15 None None Low
La Martine valley trails 15 None None Low
Aley Kfarmatta El Fezer trail 15 None None Low
Rouaisset El Naaman, Rechmaya trail 15 None Municipality of Rechmaya Medium
Shouf
Baaqline river trail 10 None None Low
Jahliyeh river trail 5 None None Low
Mokhtara, Barouk river trail 10 Partial Shouf Biosphere Reserve High
Jezzine Kfarhouna trail 8 None St. Jean Monastery Medium
Jezzine villages network of trails 20 Partial Union of Jezzine Municipalities
Medium
Tyre Wadi Zebqine trail 10 None None Low
Bint Jbeil Ain Ebel trail* 15 Yes Municipality of Ain Ebel and local NGO
Medium
Hasbaya Kawkaba olives and religious trail 10 None Municipality of Kawkaba Medium
Marjayoun Ibl El Saqi trail 5 None Hima Ibl El Saqi Medium
West Beqaa
Darb El Karam network of trails* 20 None Food Heritage Foundation Medium
Qaraoun trail 5 None Municipality of Qaraoun Medium
Rachaya Jabal Haramoun summit trail 15 None None Low
Baalbeck-Hermel
Jord El Hermel trails 30 None None Low
Darb El Ain Ainata* 5 None Municipalities, Droub Boukaat Loubnan initiative
Medium
Chlifa Yammoune trail 15 None Medium * Trails established and/or supported through USAID-funded programs.
Source: Compiled by author based on personal data collection and online maps consultations
Camping sites, forest bungalows and forest resorts are widespread in Lebanon. There are over 60
camping sites, forest bungalows, and forest resorts spread across the country with the majority located
in Mount Lebanon and North Lebanon. Some sites combine camping and bungalows and many of the
facilities offer additional services and activities including F&B, venues for events, and outdoor activities
such as zip-lines, rope games, and hiking trails. They are mostly visited by families, groups of friends, and
couples from the domestic market visiting rural and natural areas for retreats, outdoor activities or
relaxation. The majority of these facilities, especially camping sites, are not registered and do not follow
specific criteria and standards, which makes their differentiation and classification into distinct categories
based on the availability and level of services difficult.
Camping sites: Balloot Camping, Ehden Adventures, Koura Camping, Oliview, Douma Camping, Pine Straw, Tafla, Mayfouk-
Ram Camping, Nirvana, Chahtoul Camping, The Bunker, Swings Camp, Le Camp, Freiha Valley, Valley Camp, Cedars Ground
Campsite, Rockrabbit Camping, Camping Ain Zaarour, Pinea Campus Jezzine, La Serninidad, The Raven Campground,
Sharewood Camp, Glamping Lebanon, The Cliff Camp, Heaven Ecoland, Bel Tabi3a, Wanderlust Riverside, Cheer Up Camping,
Wildlings.
Forest resorts and bungalows: Hayrouna Aytou, Oakland, Jannati, Natureland, Bzebdine Hidden Valley, River Zen, HillHout
Village, La Maison de la Fôret, Arz Ehmej, Arsoun Village, Jabalna Eco-lodge, Eagle’s Nest, Saghbine Bungalows, Kawkaba Eco-
village, Fôret du Lac, Uzit Cabin, JEE Cabin, La Reserve Horsh Ehden, Skylodge, Zorba Lodges, L’Kaa Country Lodge, Pine
House, Trinity5 Faraya, Qammouaa Bungalows, Wood Hills Resort, Rabieh Bungalows, The Chill Hill Experience, Odom
Retreat, Odin Mzaar, Bkerzay.
Eco-lodges (with eco-friendly construction and sustainable practices and services): Dmit Eco-village, Al Jord Eco-lodge,
Lazzab Eco-lodge, Halbousa Eco-dome, Taanayel Eco-lodge.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 60
Cycling and biking is becoming a widespread activity in Lebanon practiced by a large number of
individuals, informal groups and clubs. There are only two tour operators specialized in this activity,
Routes LB and Cycling Circle, that organize short to medium distance cycling tours in specific areas of
Lebanon such as the coastal line between Byblos and Anfeh and the Shouf mountains. ADPL is the
leading organization in Lebanon that promotes long distance cycling and biking events, combined with
other outdoor sports such as camping, climbing and hiking. It also adds a cultural dimension to it
through the discovery of hidden attractions in rural and remote areas. Since its creation in 2008, ADPL
organizes the PolyLiban Grand Tour, a five to seven-day non-competitive and not-for-profit cycling tour
around Lebanon, targeting Lebanese youth and foreigners31.
Additionally, the Lebanese Cycling Federation organizes yearly road biking competitions and races for
the 16 registered cycling clubs and independent cyclists.
Cross country skiing is not well developed nor is it promoted in Lebanon.
Horseback riding is organized in a few areas in Lebanon, specifically in mountain and forest resorts,
camping sites and specialized clubs.
Farm visits, culinary and wine tours see Cf. sections III.6.4 and III.6.5.
The MOT’s role with regards to adventure tourism is only promotional. The Ministry publishes
promotional material and brochures for major activities in Lebanon with a focus on biking, caving, diving,
hiking, paragliding, rafting, rock climbing, and surfing32. There are four overarching challenges hindering
the development of adventure tourism in Lebanon:
• Absence of clear classification, criteria, and standards for different outdoor sports activities
• Absence of a specific legal framework for adventure activities and outdoor sports with touristic and
recreational purposes, and the nonexistence of national certification/accreditation schemes for
service providers (specialized tour operators, clubs, and guides)
• Inconsistent quality and lack of trust, especially when it comes to international travelers and when
service providers do not have certificates and insurance policies
• Lack of awareness on sustainability issues for both service providers and activities practitioners,
except for a few service providers, tour operators, and associations such as:
- Domaine de Taanayel, Chahtoul Camping, Taanayel Eco-lodge, Al Jord Eco-lodge
- 33 North, Lebanese Adventure, Ibex, Liban Trek, Responsible Mobilities, Tourleb, Routes LB
- Arcenciel, ADPL, Lebanese Climbing Association, SPNL, LMTA
III.6.4 AGRO-TOURISM
There is no universal definition for agro-tourism. The University of California’s Small Farm Center
defines agro-tourism as “the act of visiting a working farm or any agricultural, horticultural, or
agribusiness operation for the purpose of enjoyment, education, or active involvement in the activities of
the farm or operation.” According to the AgroTourNet, agro-tourism comprises all forms of tourism in
which tourists visit farms with the possibility of staying overnight and experiencing farming and various
forms of rural life at close hand. Agro-tourism includes the interpretation of the natural, cultural,
31 PolyLiban Grand Tour documentary: https://vimeo.com/437378448 32 MOT promotional brochure for outdoor activities in Lebanon
http://mot.gov.lb/Content/uploads/Publication/200921013136711~Outdoor%20Activities%20Booklet%20S%20(1).pdf
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 61
historical, and environmental assets of the land and the people working on it. Agro-tourism also offers
small-scale farmers the possibility of diversifying and generating additional income through touristic on-
farm activities to help balance the decreasing income from agricultural activities.
Interest for agro-tourism is increasing in Lebanon from both the demand side (domestic and
international travelers) and the supply side (farmers and farm owners). Similar to other types of rural
and nature-based tourism, there is no clear classification, standards and criteria for agro-tourism
services and activities in Lebanon, and the sector does not have a regulatory framework. The majority of
agro-tourism facilities are located in the Beqaa and in Mount Lebanon. Table 15 presents existing agro-
tourism offers in Lebanon and their characteristics. Among the 18 agro-tourism facilities are the
following:
• 9 operate on a seasonal basis and 9 open throughout the year
• 15 provide F&B services upon reservation
• 12 provide educational activities for children
• 7 provide fruit or vegetable picking activities
• 5 provide accommodation services in the farm or in annexed guesthouses
• 4 have animal farms and/or sell dairy products
• 4 provide yoga and retreats
• 3 provide specialized workshops
• 3 provide biking activities
In addition to the facilities mentioned in the below table, dozens of individual small farmers, shepherds,
beekeepers, and cooperatives collaborate with nature reserves, tour operators, and NGOs to welcome
visitors on their premises for a short period of time to learn about farming and to participate in some
activities.
TABLE 15: CHARACTERISTICS OF MAJOR AGRO-TOURISM FACILITIES IN LEBANON
Facility Mohafazat, Caza, Village
Main farming activities
Scale Services and activities Seasonality Online marketing
Al Haush
Agritourism
Beqaa, Zahle,
Haush El Ghanem
Vegetables, forage crops, fruit trees, grapes, rangeland
Large
Luxury
accommodation F&B, biking, workshops, retreats,
yoga
All year
www.alhaush.com Facebook: @elhaush Insta: al_haush
Google map & TripAdvisor: Al Haush Agritourism
Domaine Taanayel
Beqaa, Zahle, Taanayel
Fruit trees, grapes, cow farm, dairy
products
Large
F&B, biking, walking, lake fishing, educational activities,
zip-line, horseback riding, cultural events, farmers market (annex
accommodation in Taanayel Eco-lodge)
All year
www.arcenciel.org/activit
ies/domaine-de-taanayel/ Facebook: @DomaineDeTaanayel
Insta: domainedetaanayel Google map: Domaine de
Taanayel
M P’tits Fruits
Beqaa, Zahle, Saghbine
Berries Small Berries picking Seasonal
www.mptitsfruits.com
Facebook: @mptitsfruits Insta: mptitsfruits
Mika Domain
Mount Lebanon, Byblos, Qartaba
Fruit trees Small Fruits picking Seasonal
www.mikalb.com
Insta: mika_domain Airbnb: Mika Domain
Guita Bed&Bloom
Mount Lebanon, Byblos, Majdel
Akoura
Fruit trees, agro-processing
Medium Guesthouse, F&B, hiking, fruit picking,
yoga and retreats
Seasonal
www.guita.co Facebook: @GuitaBedAndBloom Insta: guitabedandbloom
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 62
Facility Mohafazat, Caza,
Village
Main farming
activities Scale Services and activities Seasonality Online marketing
Google map & TripAdvisor & Airbnb:
Guita Bed&Bloom https://www.hotelibanais.com/travel/guesthouses/g
uita/
Adonis Valley
Mount Lebanon, Fatreh
Vegetable, agro-processing
Small F&B, educational activities
All year
www.adonisvalley.com Facebook:
@AdonisValley Insta: adonisvalley Google map: Adonis
Valley
La Vallée Blanche
Mount Lebanon, Byblos, Ehmej
Cow farm, dairy products
Small Farm stay, F&B, educational activities
Seasonal
Facebook: @lavalleeblanchefarm
Insta: albaydar.lavalleeblanche Google map: Al Baydar
by La Vallée Blanche
Chabrouh Eco Farm
Mount Lebanon, Faraya
Fruits and vegetables
Small F&B, educational activities, workshops
Seasonal
Facebook: @chabrouhecofarm
Insta: chabrouhecofarm Google map: Chabrouh Eco Farm
Little Reed Mount Lebanon, Baabda, Ksaibeh
Fruits and vegetables
Small
F&B, educational
activities, donkey riding
Seasonal
Facebook: @Littlereedlb Insta: littlereed.lb Google map &
TripAdvisor: Little Reed
Mar Chaaya Farm
Mount Lebanon, Matn, Mar Chaaya
Fruits, vegetables, dairy products
Medium Educational activities, shop
All year
Facebook:
@FermeMarChaaya Insta: fermemarchaaya Google map: Ferme Mar Chaaya TripAdvisor:
Ferme Mar Chaaya
Liv the Farm Mount Lebanon, Matn, Broummana
Vegetables Small F&B, educational activities, yoga,
retreats
All year Facebook: @Livthefarm Insta: livthefarm
Google map: LIV
Cezar Projects
Mount Lebanon, Shouf, Barouk
Fruits and vegetables
Small
Guesthouse, F&B, picking, educational
activities, donkey riding, horseback riding, hiking, yoga and
retreats, workshops
All year
www.cezarprojects.com Facebook: @cezarprojects
Insta: cezar_projects Google map: Farmville Barouk
Airbnb: Cezar's Guest House
Eco Khalleh Mount Lebanon,
Shouf, Baaqline
Fruits and
vegetables Small
F&B, fruit picking,
educational activities Seasonal
Facebook: @ecokhalleh
Insta: ecokhalleh
Abou Saab Farm
Mount Lebanon, Shouf, Ain Zhalta
Fruits and vegetables
Small F&B, fruit picking, educational activities
Seasonal Facebook: The farm of Abou Saab brothers
Lavender Hill
Retreat
Mount Lebanon,
Shouf, Aatrine
Fruits, vegetables,
herbs Medium
Guesthouse, F&B, fruit picking, beekeeping,
educational activities, workshops, retreats
All year
Facebook: @lavenderhillretreat
Insta: lavenderhillretreat Google map: Lavender Hill Retreat
Airbnb: Lavender Hill Retreat
Parcours des
Saveurs
Mount Lebanon,
Baabda, Kfarchima
Fruits, vegetables,
animal farm Small
F&B, picking, shop,
educational activities All year
www.parcoursdessaveurs
.com Facebook: @parcoursdessaveurs
Insta: parcoursdessaveurs Google map & TripAdvisor: Parcours des saveurs
The Good Thymes
South Lebanon, Jezzine, Kfarhouna
Herbs and vegetables
Small F&B, events Seasonal www.thegoodthymes.me Facebook:
@thegoodthymes
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Facility Mohafazat, Caza,
Village
Main farming
activities Scale Services and activities Seasonality Online marketing
Insta: thegoodthymes Google map: The Good
Thymes
Saint Jacques
Farm
North Lebanon,
Batroun, Douma Ducks farm Medium Farm visit, F&B All year
www.lafermestjacques.com
Facebook: @LaFermeStJacques
Bioland North Lebanon,
Batroun, Sghar Vegetables Medium F&B All year
www.bioland.me
Facebook: @Bioland.Lebanon Insta: biolandlebanon
Google map: Bioland
Source: Compiled by author
III.6.5 GASTRONOMY AND WINE TOURISM
Gastronomy and wine tourism definition: The Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness
(CTC) of UNWTO defines gastronomy tourism as “a type of tourism activity which is characterized by
the visitor’s experience linked with food and related products and activities while travelling. Along with
authentic, traditional, and/or innovative culinary experiences, gastronomy tourism may also involve
other related activities such as visiting the local producers, participating in food festivals and attending
cooking classes. Whilst Eno-tourism (Wine Tourism), as a sub-type of Gastronomy Tourism, refers to
tourism whose purpose is visiting vineyards, wineries, tasting, consuming and/or purchasing wine, often
at or near the source” (World Tourism Organization, unwto.org).
Gastronomy tourism: Culinary heritage is an integral part of Lebanese cultural identity. The Lebanese
gastronomy culture is shaped by fertile agricultural lands, landscape and ecological diversity, different
microclimates, and social traditions, alongside ethnographic and community diversity. Throughout
history, Lebanese communities produced and developed a variety of fresh, dried, preserved, and cooked
food, as well as wine and Arak. The different civilizations that passed through Lebanon influenced
Lebanese cuisine, known primarily for its healthy Mediterranean diet, freshness, regional specialties, and
variety of dishes or mezze33.
Lebanon’s rural areas have a large number of restaurants, snack bars, and bakeries offering basic
traditional Lebanese food. The majority of these F&B services are located around natural and cultural
attractions. The gastronomy offer of these conventional restaurants is limited to basic and common
traditional Lebanese dishes and does not explore the wide variety of specialty dishes that can be found
in each region. On the other hand, culinary tourism projects and initiatives focusing on local specialties
linked to the terroir and to its agricultural heritage, as well as to social traditions, began emerging in the
last few years in different rural areas. In many cases, these initiatives are linked or integrated within
existing ecotourism products and agro-tourism facilities; the latter can also be considered gastronomy
service providers when they offer local products and food specialties. Service providers and initiatives
specialized in gastronomy tourism include:
• Darb El Karam, a food tourism network initiated by the FHF. It connects five villages in the Higher
Shouf and four villages in West Beqaa (Figure 14). Thematic seasonal packages are proposed in the
concerned villages where visitors can participate in picking and preservation activities and eat at the
houses of food producers and in tables d’hôtes where they enjoy local culinary specialties. By putting
33 A large array of small dishes that includes salads, dips, sausages and variety meats, vegetarian dishes cooked in olive oil, crudités, pickles, nuts, and pastries. Mezze
dishes are all served at the same time for lunch or dinners.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 64
visitors in contact with farmers, shepherds, food producers, and beekeepers, Darb El Karam aims to
raise awareness among tourists about the origin of an ingredient or a traditional dish and its cultural
and emotional ties to the destination and terroir, while diversifying the income of the hosts through
tourism. (www.food-heritage.org/darb-el-karam/)
• Tawlet is a network of traditional and specialty food restaurants initiated and managed by Souk El
Tayeb. Tawlet is based on a social business model where profit is generated to support farmers,
women, cooks, and producers. Tawlet has six restaurants in Beirut, Aammiq, Douma, Deir El
Qamar, Jrebta-Biomass, and Sidon. Depending on their location, Tawlet restaurants open on a
seasonal or permanent basis and offer a traditional Lebanese buffet prepared by women from
different regions.
• Taste Lebanon is a U.K.-based tour operator focusing on organizing food and culinary tours in
urban and rural areas of Lebanon. (www.tastelebanon.co.uk)
• Le Passport Culinaire is a company specialized in gastronomy and wine tours in rural areas and
mountain villages in Lebanon, as well as in Europe. It also offers cooking and tasting workshops.
(www.lepasseportculinaire.com).
• Slow Food Beirut is an NGO specialized in documenting and promoting specialty food and the
culinary heritage of Lebanon. (www.slowfoodbeirut.com)
• Fair Trade Lebanon is an NGO specialized in the promotion of Lebanese specialty preserved food
and supporting farmers and cooperatives to implement Fair Trade principles and designated Fair
Trade villages. (www.fairtradelebanon.org)
• Lebanon Mountain Trail Association: The LMTA is documenting and capitalizing on the food and
culinary heritage along the trail and is supporting local farmers, cooperatives, and guesthouses to
valorize their food culture through tourism services and activities.
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FIGURE 14: MAP OF DARB EL KARAM
Source: https://food-heritage.org/darb-el-karam/
Table 16 presents the main food specialties of Lebanon and their corresponding terroir.
TABLE 16: EXAMPLES OF FOOD SPECIALTIES AND THEIR TERROIR IN RURAL LEBANON34 Caza Food specialty (terroir-village)
Akkar Olive oil, pomegranate molasses, sumac, edible plants, shanklish
Donnieh Fruit jam, honey
Zgharta Over 20 varieties of raw and cooked kebbeh in Zgharta-Ehden, darfieh cheese
Koura Olive oil, pomegranate molasses, seafood (Anfeh)
Bcharreh Fruit jam, shanklish, darfieh cheese, maakroun bi toum (Hadath El Jebbeh)
Batroun Mjadret fasoulya (Tannourine), edible plants
Byblos Apple vinegar, apple preserves and kishk, mwarraqa (Amchit)
Kesrouane Goat cheese (Jord Kesrouane)
Matn Pine nuts, rice mixed with yoghurt and eggs (Baskinta)
Baabda Pine nuts, cherry jam and syrup (Hammana), carob molasses (Ksaibe)
Aley Pomegranate molasses, zaatar
34 It is worth mentioning that a Geographical Indication project law and complete study exists at the Ministry of Economy to designate geographical areas for food
and agricultural specialties and protect them.
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Shouf Grape sour syrup or charab el-hosroum, dried figs, edible plants, carob molasses, aakkoub
Sidon Rosewater and sweet bread (Maghdouche)
Jezzine Pine nuts
Tyre Seafood, freekeh
Nabatieh Edible plants, zaatar, freekeh
Hasbaya Olive oil, edible plants
Bint Jbeil Specialty bread meshtah el jreesh, olive oil, freekeh
Marjayoun Olive oil
Rachaya Edible plants, grape molasses
West Beqaa Charab el-hosroum, edible plants, olive oil, goat labneh and cheese, shanklish, labneh ambris and serdeleh
Zahle* Cow milk labneh (Taanayel), Lebanese mezze, sweet bread
Baalbeck-Hermel Eggplant makdous, kishk, freekeh, apricot preserves, goat labneh, labneh ambris and serdeleh, tannour bread Source: Compiled by author
* Zahle was designated a City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2013
Wine tourism: Lebanon is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, as archeological
excavations have shown that wine was produced by Phoenicians in the 7th century B.C. Modern
viticulture and wine production in Lebanon dates back to the mid-19th century when Jesuit missionaries
introduced noble grapes to the Beqaa Valley and founded the first winery in the country. The
development of the wine sector was relatively slow until the last 10 years of the 20th century when the
number of commercial wineries increased from 12 to 25. Between 2001 and 2010, 26 new wineries
were created and another 15 wineries between 2011 and 2020, making the total number of wineries in
Lebanon 66 by the end of 2020 (Annex 5. List of wineries and their characteristics).
The Beqaa Valley has the largest number of wineries and wine production volume (41% and 74%
respectively), followed by Mount Lebanon (36% and 21%), Batroun (14% and 3%), North Lebanon (6%
and 1.5%), South Lebanon and Nabatieh (3% and 0.5%). Lebanese wineries can be classified into four
categories based on the number of produced bottles:
• Micro wineries producing less than 50,000 bottles constitute 50% of the wineries, mainly located in
Mount Lebanon, Batroun, and West Beqaa.
• Small wineries producing between 50,000 and 99,999 bottles constitute 21% of the wineries, mainly
located in the Beqaa Valley and mount Lebanon.
• Medium wineries producing between 100,000 and 499,999 bottles constitute 23% of the wineries,
mainly located in the Beqaa Valley and Mount Lebanon.
• Large wineries producing more than 500,000 bottles constitute 6% of the wineries, mainly located in
Mount Lebanon and the Beqaa Valley.
Table 17 shows the geographical distribution and production scale of the Lebanese wineries.
TABLE 17: LEBANON’S WINERIES DISTRIBUTION AND PRODUCTION SCALE
Region Micro (<50K bottles) Small (50 to 99.9K bottles) Medium (100 to 499.9K bottles) Large (>500K)
Beqaa 9 6 10 2
Mount Lebanon 14 5 3 2
Batroun and North Lebanon 9 2 2 0
South Lebanon & Nabatieh 1 1 0 0
Total 33 (50%) 14 (21%) 15 (23%) 4 (6%) Source: Compiled by Author; www.209lebanesewine.com; www.vinileb.com
From a tourism perspective, the majority of wineries offer at least one service or activity for their
visitors as shown in the following table (Table 18).
TABLE 18: LEBANON’S WINERIES TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS Service/activity Percentage of wineries
Restaurants and F&B 32%
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Shop and wine boutique (on site and/or in Beirut) 23%
Accommodation in or next to the winery 11%
Wine tasting 83%
Winery tour 71%
Vineyard tour 41%
Participation in wine grapes harvesting 17%
Walk in visit 6%
Phone reservation needed 88%
Online booking for wine tours and wine tasting 6%
Venue for events 26%
Other activities including hiking, yoga, retreats, cooking workshops 14%
Active website 67%
Active social media page 95% Source: Compiled by author based on information features on the wineries’ websites and social media pages
In terms of types of products:
• 98% of wineries produce red wine
• 71% produce rosé wine
• 82% produce white wine
• 21 produce sweet wine
• 39% produce Arak
• 26% produce others alcoholic beverages such as liquors, vodka, gin, and whiskey
• 14% produce organic certified wine
Lebanon does not have tour operators or companies specialized in wine tourism. Wine tours and
winery visits are conducted on an individual basis or through conventional tour operators and
organizers. Despite the concentration of wineries in some regions such as in West Beqaa, Central
Beqaa, and Batroun, none of these areas or wineries created an integrated and labelled wine route with
pre-defined packages and products. The number of visitors and the quality of hospitality services and
tourist activities differ among wineries based on their scale and availability of professional and trained
staff. The two big wineries in the Beqaa, Château Ksara and Château Kefraya, receive the largest number
of visitors with no reservation needed, followed by Domaine des Tourelles, Ixsir Winery, and Château
Musar. The remaining wineries receive a limited number of visitors upon reservation. Large and medium
wineries provide standard wine tours and wine tasting activities conducted by trained staff, whereas
small and micro wineries do not have specific packages for wine tours and wine tasting; instead, they
adapt their services and activities based on the visitors’ preferences. The majority of tours in these
wineries are conducted by their owners and/or winemakers, which distinguish the experience they
provide from large and medium wineries.
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III.6.6 LOCAL AND REGIONAL DESTINATIONS
Table 19 summarizes the state of rural and nature-based tourism in Lebanon’s different regions with existing types of tourism, those that need
improvement and/or development, and potential areas where rural and nature-based tourism clusters and DMOs can be created.
TABLE 19: LEBANON’S WINERIES TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS
Mohafazat Caza Existing types of rural/nature-
based tourism and activities
Types and activities of rural/nature-based tourism
that need improvement or development Potential regional clusters and DMOs
Akkar Akkar Soft adventure: hiking, camping
Hard adventure: trekking
Agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism, geo-tourism
Soft adventure: cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, donkey riding,
cycling, bird watching
Hard adventure: ski touring, mountain biking, rock climbing
Menjez - Qobayat - Aandaket - Beino - Deir Janine
Qammoua - Fnaideq - Akkar El Atika - Mechmech - Tachae
North
Lebanon
Minieh-
Donnieh Soft adventure: hiking
Ecotourism, agro-tourism
Soft adventure: camping, donkey riding
Hard adventure: ski touring, mountain biking, rock climbing
Sir - Bqaa Sefrine - Kfarbnine - Jabal El Arbaa’en
Bcharreh Soft adventure: hiking, snowshoeing
Hard adventure: trekking, skiing
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism
Soft adventure: cross-country skiing, donkey riding, cycling
Hard adventure: ski touring, mountain biking, rock climbing, hot air
ballooning
Union of Bcharreh Municipalities
Qadisha Valley (in cooperation with the Zgharta side of the valley)
Zgharta
Ecotourism; gastronomy tourism
Soft adventure: hiking, snowshoeing, camping
Hard adventure: paragliding
Ecotourism, geo-tourism, gastronomy tourism, agro-tourism
Soft adventure: cycling
Hard adventure: paragliding, ski touring, mountain biking
Union of Zgharta Municipalities
Qadisha Valley (in cooperation with the Bcharreh side of the valley)
Koura Soft adventure: cycling, diving and snorkeling
(Anfeh)
Ecotourism (Anfeh), agro-tourism
Soft adventure: cycling, bird watching, snorkeling
Anfeh - Balamand - Fiaa
Koura plain cluster
Batroun
Ecotourism; wine tourism
Soft adventure: cycling, hiking, snowshoeing,
camping, stand-up paddling
Hard adventure: rock climbing, surfing
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism, geo-
tourism
Soft adventure: donkey riding, bird watching, snorkeling
Hard adventure: rock climbing, mountain biking, canyoning, kayaking
Coastal area villages: Batroun - Thoum - Kfaraabida - Hamat - Nourieh
Middle mountains villages: Kfarhilda - Beit Chelala - Assia - Sourat
High mountains villages: Tannourine - Chatine - Douma - Bchaaleh cluster
(can be linked to the high mountain villages of Byblos, around the Laklouk
plateau)
Batroun wineries cluster
Mount
Lebanon
Byblos
Ecotourism
Soft adventure: cycling, hiking, snowshoeing,
camping, stand-up paddling
Hard adventure: surfing, caving
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism, geo-
tourism
Soft adventure: donkey riding, bird watching, snorkeling
Hard adventure: caving, rock climbing
Coastal area villages: Byblos - Amchit - Fidar - Berbara
Middle mountains villages: Ghalboun - Ain Kefaa - Maad - Bejjeh - Hakel
High mountains villages: Ehmej - Jaj - Tartej - Laklouk - Akoura - Afqa -
Qartaba cluster (can be linked to the high mountain villages of Batroun,
around Laklouk plateau)
Kesrouane
Ecotourism
Soft adventure: hiking, snowshoeing, camping
Hard adventure: skiing, snowboarding, ski
touring
Wine tourism
Soft adventure: donkey riding, bird watching, cross-country skiing
Hard adventure: trekking, mountain biking
Union of Kesrouane Municipalities
Ftouh Kesrouane cluster
Kesrouane wineries cluster
Matn
Soft adventure: hiking, cycling snowshoeing,
camping
Hard adventure: mountain biking, ski touring
Agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism Middle mountains villages with Bikfaya as a hub
High mountains villages with Baskinta as a hub
Baabda Soft adventure: hiking, cycling, camping
Hard adventure: mountain biking, canyoning Ecotourism Bzebdine - Ras El Maten - Qornayel - Falougha - Hammana
Aley Soft adventure: camping
Hard adventure: climbing
Geo-tourism
Soft adventure: hiking, cycling, camping
Hard adventure: climbing
Aley - Bhamdoun - Saoufar
Shouf Ecotourim
Soft adventure: hiking, cycling, camping
Geo-tourism
Agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism Shouf Biosphere Reserve villages
South
Lebanon
Jezzine Soft adventure: cycling, hiking, camping Ecotourism, geo-tourism, gastronomy tourism
Hard adventure: mountain biking Jezzine Union of Municipalities
Sidon N/A N/A N/A
Tyre Ecotourism Ecotourism; agro-tourism (fisheries) Tyre to Naqoura
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 69
Mohafazat Caza Existing types of rural/nature-
based tourism and activities
Types and activities of rural/nature-based tourism
that need improvement or development Potential regional clusters and DMOs
Soft adventure: snorkeling
Hard adventure: diving
Soft adventure: snorkeling
Hard adventure: diving
Nabatieh
Bint Jbeil N/A Agro-tourism N/A
Nabatieh N/A Gastronomy tourism N/A
Marjayoun Soft adventure: hiking Ecotourism
Agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism N/A
Hasbaya Soft adventure: hiking
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism
Soft adventure: cycling
Hard adventure: mountain biking
Hasbani Union of Municipalities
Beqaa
Rachaya Soft adventure: hiking
Hard adventure: trekking
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism
Soft adventure: cycling
Hard adventure: mountain biking
Al Qalaa Union of Municipalities
Jabal El Sheikh Union of Municipalities
West
Beqaa Agro-tourism, wine tourism
Agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism
Soft adventure: hiking, cycling
Hard adventure: hot air ballooning
Al Bouhaira Union of Municipalities
West Beqaa wineries cluster
Zahle Agro-tourism, wine tourism
Soft adventure: cycling, hiking
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism
Hard adventure: hot air ballooning
Zahle Union of Municipalities
Zahle wineries cluster
Baalbeck-
Hermel
Baalbeck Wine tourism Agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism, wine tourism Deir El Ahmar Union of Municipalities
Baalbeck wineries cluster
Hermel Soft adventure: camping, hiking
Had adventure: rafting
Soft adventure: hiking
Hard adventure: trekking N/A
Source: Compiled by author based on interviews and field observations
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IV. CHALLENGES, CONSTRAINTS, OPPORTUNITIES,
AND AREA OF INTERVENTIONS
The prospects of tourism development in Lebanon in general, and rural and nature-based tourism in
particular, are promising. However, tourism remains sensitive to political and security fluctuations, in
addition to the uncertainty regarding its speedy recovery in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and
Lebanon’s capacity to cope with this global challenge and respond to new market trends. Besides its self-
evident economic impact, especially in terms of ensuring foreign currency flow into the country, tourism
can also become a driver for sustainability, particularly towards natural and cultural heritage resources,
as well as for a decentralized economic development model that can benefit the areas and municipalities
with more income and employment.
Despite the increasing demand for rural and nature-based tourism services and activities in Lebanon, the
majority of stakeholders and service providers working in this field are not well integrated into the
tourism value chain. This is due to overarching constraints hindering the development of adventure
tourism, ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism in a professional manner, and their
positioning in the marketplace as high added value and competitive tourism products. These constraints
include:
• Unclear mandates and unsystematic responsibilities among different public governmental institutions
• Unfavorable enabling environment and absence of specialized legal frameworks and regulations
• Absence of categorization, criteria, standards, quality control systems, and certification/labelling
• Lack of awareness among tourism professionals and confusion in the marketplace regarding the
different types of rural and nature-based tourism
• Absence of specialized business associations and syndicates
• Absence of reliable data and market information
Based on the above analysis, constraints and opportunities have been identified for different sub-sectors
of the rural and nature-based tourism value chain, as well as for each type of tourism. Possible
interventions are proposed to address strategic and technical weaknesses in the rural and nature-based
tourism value chain.
IV.1 RURAL ACCOMODATION AND F&B SERVICES
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES Accommodation and F&B:
• Low occupancy rate and high seasonality
• Increased inflation and decreased profitability
• Limited skilled labor pool and brain drain
• Inconsistent food supply change
• Currency fluctuation and complex pricing Accommodation facilities:
• Saturated room supply in a few areas vs. limited room supply in the majority of rural areas
• Inconsistent quality of services COVID-19:
• Adoption of safety measures
• Low trust in small and medium establishments
• The domestic market’s Increasing demand for accommodation outside Beirut in small-scale facilities
• Currency devaluation and increased competitiveness on the international market
• Rich and distinguished culinary heritage
• Increasing demand for local produce
• Great examples of innovations in the restaurant sector, with many youth creating new concepts, several franchising them in and outside Lebanon
• Existence of many traditional houses and mansions in rural areas in need of restoration that could be transformed into
boutique hotels or guesthouses
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PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Offer service providers tailor-made support to enhance resilience and increase shock-resistance
capacity (e.g., training programs on crisis management in tourism and hospitality)
• Provide technical support for owners/managers of accommodation and F&B facilities to improve
their performance, and provide training for their staff to improve quality of services (e.g., training
programs on customer service, customer relations, communications, F&B services, and hotel
management)
• Support small and medium firms and operators in menu engineering, pricing, and cost control
• Support rural and nature-based tourism firms and service providers in adopting COVID-19
measures and assist them in acquiring specific certifications for health, hygiene, and occupational
safety
• Create linkages and facilitate partnerships between the F&B sector and wineries planning to provide
F&B services (e.g., introduce specialized F&B services to micro and small wineries under joint
ventures or franchising systems)
• Provide support to hospitality and F&B technical and vocational training to strengthen the skilled
workforce, to introduce innovation, and to adapt the existing educational program to new global
trends
• Introduce best practices for sustainability in accommodation and F&B services (e.g., provisioning
locally produced food, better waste management, water management, and renewable energy
systems)
• Upgrade the soft infrastructure of rural accommodation services and F&B services to provide high
added value, authentic, and comfortable experiences
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide financial support to individual accommodation and F&B service providers who have plans to expand their business,
improve their performance, and upgrade their services through improving the soft infrastructure of their facilities, equipment
(e.g., kitchen, laundry), furniture, and internal and external spaces including landscaping. Such interventions should be linked to
increasing the business volume (occupancy rate, especially during low seasons), diversifying market segments, and providing a
high quality/value service, in addition to reducing the cost and increasing profit margins.
2) Provide technical support (hospitality services, management, marketing, and promotion) for individual service providers or
clusters to overcome current challenges (the financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic) and to adapt/match their offer with new
market trends. The clusters can be a regional regrouping of different accommodation types in a specific region/destination (Cf.
clusters and DMOs proposed in Table 19 on page 65) and/or per category (e.g., camping sites, eco-lodges, guesthouses).
Technical support can be delivered by individual experts, consulting firms or NGOs specialized in rural tourism and hospitality
services.
Potential partners and champion firms35
Camping: Chahtoul Camping (Mount Lebanon – Kesrouane)
Forest resort: Arz Ehmej Park (Mount Lebanon – Byblos)
Guesthouse: Cezar Projects (Mount Lebanon – Shouf)
Eco-lodge: Al Jord Eco-lodge (Hermel)
Rural accommodation aggregator: Cheez Hospitality (National)
35 Proposed champion firms for all intervention areas are indicative [incomplete sentence]. A more detailed and in-depth sub-sector analysis and firm evaluation is
needed to determine the stakeholder’s ability to be considered as a champion firm, and to identify additional ones. Champion firms can connect organizations and
rural tourism stakeholders together to form business clusters, regional clusters and/or DMOs including municipalities and their unions, nature reserves, farmers,
traditional and specialty food producers, rural and agricultural cooperatives, crafts makers, youth clubs, tour operators, outdoor sports clubs, tourism business
associations and syndicates, tourism and heritage NGOs, tourism digital platforms, and OTAs.
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IV.2 ATTRACTIONS, DESTINATIONS & PRODUCTS
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES Attractions:
• Deterioration of cultural heritage assets in general
• Poor maintenance and conservation of key touristic sites, which has resulted in deterioration and loss not only at the Lebanese level but also at the world heritage level
• Lack of modern complimentary offerings in rural and nature-based touristic sites (F&B, souvenirs, shopping)
• Pollution, environmental concerns, and the impact of climate change on natural resources
Destinations and products:
• Lack of themed tourism itineraries/packages reflecting Lebanon’s rich heritage and diverse experiences
• Seasonality and concentration of visitors/travelers in a few
destinations/attractions
• Absence of DMOs on the local/regional level
• Rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage
• Increasing demand for rural and nature-based tourism types on the domestic and international markets
• Lebanese cuisine, wine, and Arak can be used as important assets for tourism products development
• Willingness and readiness of local communities, municipalities, and NGOs to preserve and valorize their heritage resources
• Increased awareness of sustainability
• Increasing number of visitors to regions outside Beirut
• Increased awareness among municipalities and unions of municipalities to promote their regions under the cluster model and the need to create DMOs
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Protect and valorize natural and cultural heritage assets considered tourism attractions through
supporting municipalities, relevant associations, and protected areas to train their staff on
conservation issues, creating and implementing specific tourism management plans, implementing
visitor control and monitoring systems to respect sites carrying capacity, and adopting sustainable
and responsible tourism guidelines
• Design, create, test, and promote thematic itineraries/routes on the regional and national level with
a focus on:
− Cultural and intangible heritage tourism (e.g., seasonal food trails, historical routes following
specific civilizations such as Roman temples and Crusaders fortresses)
− Religious and faith tourism in cooperation with FBOs (Cf. www.culturalreligioustourism.com)
− City and village tours focusing on tangible heritage (architecture) and intangible heritage (stories
and traditions) in cooperation with municipalities, nature reserves, local guides, and NGOs
− National trails network that includes homogenized guidelines for trail design, building,
classification (difficulty levels and usages/activities), management, blazing, and maintenance (to be
coordinated with the LMTA)
− Ecotourism trails focused on biodiversity and wildlife observation including bird watching
− Adventure tourism destinations with a focus on mountain biking (such as in the Matn mountains
and in Jezzine), climbing and via ferrata (such as in Tannourine and in Akoura)
− Agro-tourism based on the agricultural heritage of each region and harvesting seasons
− Gastronomy based on the food heritage and traditions of each region
− Wine routes with a focus on small and micro wineries in Zahle, West Beqaa, Batroun-Byblos,
Kesrouane, Matn-Baabda, and Aley-Shouf
• Create regional clusters gathering key tourism service providers; the clusters can be based on:
− Administrative divisions as in the case of unions of municipalities
− Geographical clusters for villages and towns with similar and complementary attractions and
activities (e.g., Laklouk Plateau Cluster including Akoura - Ehmej - Tannourine - Charine, Wadi
Qadisha cluster including 18 villages bordering the valley from the Bcharreh and Zgharta districts,
Qobayat - Menjez - Aandaqet cluster, the Byblos middle mountains cluster including Ghalboun -
Bejjeh - Hakel - Ain Kefaa - Maad-Sghar)
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− Thematic clusters (wine routes, cultural/religious routes, and agricultural heritage clusters, e.g.,
olive oil, table grapes, mountain fruits, dairy products, pastoralism, and rangelands)
• Explore and study the possibility of creating DMOs from a legal, managerial, and financial
perspective. The DMOs’ scale can be similar to the clusters’ scale (administrative, geographical,
thematic)
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide technical support targeting municipalities and their unions, local and national NGOs working on heritage
management and protection, as well as nature reserves and eco-tour operators to map cultural and natural heritage and
capitalize it using digital means, establish sustainable and responsible tourism practices (e.g., ecotourism charter), and to
implement access control and monitor systems in sensitive natural and cultural sites used for tourism purposes.
2) Initiate the process of creating DMOs through community mobilization and tourism businesses involvement. The DMO
creation mechanism and its management model (legal framework, membership, financing, decision-making, branding, marketing
and promotion) might differ from one region to another given the diverse social and economic realities, the territorial
development dynamic and the role of different stakeholders, the presence of strong leadership, and the different levels of
willingness/readiness to initiate this process. For example, the Shouf Biosphere Reserve is planning to create a DMO covering
its surrounding villages, the Municipality of Zgharta-Ehden established contacts with DMOs in France to benefit from their
experience in this field, and the Union of Jezzine Municipalities has a clear vision for rural tourism development but lacks the
know-how to initiate the DMO (Cf. clusters and DMOs proposed in Table 19 on page 65).
Potential partners and champion firms
Unions of municipalities: Jezzine, Kesrouane, Bouhaira (West Beqaa), Bcharreh, Deir El Ahmar
Municipalities: Zgharta-Ehden, Batroun, Tannourine, Ghalboun, Menjez
Nature reserves: Shouf Biosphere Reserve
NGOs: LMTA, ADPL, Arcenciel, SPNL
Tour operators and clubs: 33 North, Routes LB, Tourleb, Wanderleb, Club Thermique du Liban
Business associations: USEIL, Institut National de la Vigne et du Vin (INVV), UVL
IV.3 ECOTOURISM
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Absence of an ecotourism management plan in most of the nature reserves
• Weak knowledge in tourism and hospitality matters among nature reserve staff
• Absence of digitalized access control and proper data collection/analysis
• Overcrowding in the few nature reserves and a very low number of visitors to other reserves
• Limited number of conservation and education-related
activities
• Lack of integration of ecotourism services and activities in other protected sites and Hima (Cf. page 16 footnote 6 for more information on the Hima system)
• Reliance of a nature reserve on external funding to develop and improve ecotourism
• Lack of networking between nature reserves and ecotourism service providers
• Under exploitation of the geo-tourism concept
• Increasing demand for ecotourism on the domestic and global markets
• Increasing number of visitors to some nature reserves
• Readiness and willingness of nature reserve managers and staff to improve their services and activities
• Small investments needed to improve ecotourism services and activities
• Innovative ICT solutions for tourism marketing and promotions
• Rich geological heritage
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 74
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Support nature reserves and other protected natural sites to prepare and implement ecotourism
management plans
• Develop and promote conservation and environmental education activities such as bird watching
and wildlife observation
• Invest in digital marketing and promote and build brand awareness on the tourism e-marketplace
• Promote and facilitate small investments in ecotourism-related services and activities (e.g., guiding,
environmental education, eco-tour operators) in partnership with the private sector
• Create a national network for nature reserves and protected sites respecting the ecotourism
principles and offering ecotourism services and activities. The national network can work on
cooperative marketing and on the creation of joint packages and ecotourism products
• Introduce the geo-tourism component to nature reserves and other protected sites
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide technical and financial support to nature reserves and support them in:
- Creating, upgrading and implementing ecotourism and visitors’ management plans (e.g., carrying capacity, access control,
zoning systems, data collection and analysis, digital marketing and promotion)
- Diversifying ecotourism activities and products (e.g., ecotourism vacation and holidays, wildlife observation)
- Enhancing visitors’ experience and improving the quality of the delivered services (e.g., guiding services, educational activities)
- Creating business linkages with local, national and international tourism service providers (e.g., travel agents, eco-tour
operators)
- Enhancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability inside the reserve and in its surrounding areas (e.g., renewable
energy, waste management, clean mobility, organic agriculture)
2) Create a national network for nature reserves and Himas to share knowledge, data, and work on cooperative marketing to
promote Lebanon as an ecotourism destination
Potential partners and champion firms
Nature reserves: Shouf Biosphere Reserve, Horsh Ehden Reserve, Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve,
Bentael Nature, Tyre Coast Nature Reserve
NGOs: LMTA, SPNL
Business associations: USEIL
IV.4 ADVENTURE TOURISM
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Absence of classification and categorization of adventure tourism activities
• Saturation of some activities such as hiking and rafting, and limited development of other activities such as ski touring,
caving, and mountain biking
• Inconsistent quality of services
• Absence or inadequate safety measures in some hard adventure activities
• Lack of professional guides and instructors
• Absence of designated adventure sports zones in rural and mountainous areas with access control and monitoring by local
authorities
• Lack of integration of sustainability measures and practices in adventure activities
• Increasing demand for outdoor activities on the domestic and global markets
• Motivation of youth in rural areas to work on outdoor sports activities
• Existence of key experts specialized in adventure tourism
• Possibility of practicing different outdoor and adventure activities in the same location and during different seasons
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CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Absence of specialized training centers and technical training for professional outdoor sports activities
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Classify and categorize adventure tourism activities into soft and hard adventure experiences (Cf.
section II.6.3)
• Train adventure tourism service providers on sustainability issues and support them in adopting
sustainable practices with a focus on respecting natural sites’ carrying capacity and reducing
activities’ impact on natural resources
• Designate specific areas for adventure activities with controlled access and fee systems in
cooperation with municipalities
• Organize national and international competitive and recreational events for adventure activities
Illustrative interventions
1) Create a national training center or technical training program for outdoor adventure sports to guarantee sustainability, high
quality service, and safety
2) Create a digital map and platform showing and promoting local, regional, and national adventure tourism activities and their
relevant service providers
Potential partners and champion firms
NGOs: LMTA
Business associations: USEIL
Soft adventure tour operators: Routes LB, Tourleb, Wanderleb, Discovery Beyond Borders
Hard adventure tour operators and clubs: Lebanese Adventure, 33 North, Club Thermique du Liban
IV.5 AGRO-TOURISM
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Limited number of professional agro-tourism services and facilities across Lebanon
• Absence of clear standards and criteria for agro-tourism
• Inconsistent quality of services
• Limited knowledge of small farmers and cooperatives in hospitality techniques
• Lack of integration of sustainability measures and practices in agro-tourism facilities
• Diversity of agricultural regions, products, and seasons
• Increasing demand for local products and healthy food
• Increasing interest in farming
• Increasing number of young people investing in agricultural projects and initiatives
• Need and willingness of farmers to diversify their sources of income
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Upgrade existing agro-tourism facilities through improving their soft infrastructure, diversifying the
provided services and activities, and establishing new ones
• Classify and categorize agro-tourism facilities based on the provided services and activities
• Train small farmers and food producers on agro-tourism and support them in providing agro-
tourism services and activities, which can be done in partnership with municipalities, cooperatives,
and/or nature reserves
• Integrate sustainability dimensions in agro-tourism facilities (e.g., sustainable water use, agricultural
waste management, renewable energy, organic certification, eco-farms)
• Organize thematic regional and local agro-tourism events and festivals based on local traditions and
link them to the culinary heritage of each area
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Illustrative interventions
Provide technical and financial support for agro-tourism facilities to enhance visitors’ experience through improving and
diversifying farm-related services, and through offering tourism products combining participation in farming activities focused on
families, educational activities for children, comfortable farm stays, F&B services focusing on locally grown, healthy and organic
food, as well as seasonal harvesting events. Agro-tourism facilities can work on increasing their cultivated areas and introducing
new crops to diversify their production and offer a wide variety of products for their visitors, in addition to the improvement
of their internal and external spaces to offer high quality/value services. Agro-tourism facilities and initiatives can partner with
other tourism service providers and rural stakeholders such as accommodation services, nature reserves and agricultural
cooperatives, in addition to specialized tour operators, in order to reach out to new market segments.
Potential partners/champion firms
Little Reed (Mount Lebanon – Baabda), Adonis Valley (Mount Lebanon – Byblos), La Vallée Blanche (Mount Lebanon – Byblos),
Domaine de Taanayel (Beqaa – Zahle), Al Haush Agro-tourism (Beqaa – Zahle)
IV.6 GASTRONOMY AND WINE TOURISM
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Limited number of gastronomy tourism service providers
• Absence of clear standards and criteria for wine tourism
• Inconsistent quality of services in micro and small wineries
• Limited knowledge of micro and small wineries in hospitality techniques
• Lack of integration of sustainability measures and practices in wineries
• Very rich and diverse culinary heritage
• Large number of wine producers providing basic tourism services and willing to upgrade their businesses
• Increasing demand for local products and healthy food
• Need and willingness of small and micro wineries to diversify their markets and increase direct sales
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Upgrade existing wine tourism services for micro and small wineries by improving their soft
infrastructure and renovating the spaces used to welcome and host visitors in order to provide an
authentic and comfortable experience
• Support existing gastronomy tourism service providers to expand their network and upgrade their
services through improving wine-food pairings and culinary offerings
• Train micro and small wineries on hospitality services and techniques to enhance visitor experience
• Organize regional and local gastronomy and wine festivals including harvesting and tasting activities
• Support the creation of local and regional clusters, routes and itineraries combining gastronomy and
wine tourism
• Integrate sustainability dimensions in wineries (e.g., adoption of renewable energy, sustainable waste
management, eco-construction)
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide financial support to food tourism service providers and micro/small wineries with plans to expand their gastronomy
and wine tourism offering, improve their performance and upgrade their services through developing soft infrastructure for
their facilities, equipment and indoor/outdoor hosting spaces (e.g., wine tasting equipment and tools, tasting rooms/areas, F&B
service facilities including kitchens and dining spaces). Such interventions should be linked to increasing the business volume,
diversifying the market segments (individual visitors and organized groups from domestic and international markets) as well as
enhancing visitors’ experience.
2) Provide technical support (hospitality services, product development, business linkages, marketing and promotion) for micro
and small wineries to overcome current challenges (the financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic) and to adapt/match their
offers with new market trends.
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3) Create regional clusters for gastronomy and food tourism (linked to the agricultural heritage and existing agro-tourism
facilities) with a main hub (primary village/town or attractions/site) providing a large number of rural tourism services and
activities all year long, in addition to satellite villages/towns/attractions/sites providing specialized activities and seasonal events.
4) Create wine routes congregating wineries (specifically small and micro wineries) in specific regions and territories that share
similar characteristics from a terroir perspective (e.g., in Central Beqaa-Zahle, West Beqaa, Batroun-Byblos middle mountains,
Kesrouane, Matn-Baabda, and Aley-Shouf). The wine routes model (membership, management, branding, marketing and
promotion) might differ from one region to another based on the number and scale of wineries and their willingness to
cooperate and work together, and with other rural tourism stakeholders. Wine routes can be linear or circular and can have a
main hub represented by a prime winery (medium or large-scale) with satellite wineries (small and micro-scale). Wine routes
can also be integrated into rural tourism clusters and DMOs with linkages to other thematic routes (e.g., culinary, agricultural,
cultural, and natural itineraries).
Potential partners and champion firms
NGOs: FHF, Slow Food Lebanon, LMTA
Tour Operators: Le Passeport Culinaire
Businesses: Souk El Tayeb (Tawlet initiative)
Destinations: Darb El Karam in West Beqaa, Zgharta-Ehden, Tannourine-Chatine-Ehmej-Laklouk-Akoura, Shouf mountains
Wineries: Château Qanafar (Beqaa – West Beqaa), Domaine des Tourelles (Beqaa – Zahle), Domaine St. Gabriel (Mount
Lebanon – Byblos), St. Michael Winery (Mount Lebanon – Shouf), INVV, UVL
IV.7 MARKETING AND PROMOTION
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Absence of national tourism board
• Weak digital marketing and promotion
• Lack of market information and weak market intelligence
• Negative perceptions in the marketplace
• Absence of national “destination brand” and international promotion strategy
• Absence of territorial brands
• Increasing demand for alternative tourism forms on the global market
• Currency devaluation and increased competitiveness on the
international market
• Rise of gastro-diplomacy worldwide, which Lebanese cuisine can take advantage of as a destination and in improving its image abroad
• Promotion of Lebanon as a destination by the Lebanese diaspora, which is formed of nearly 14 million people
• Innovative ICT solutions for tourism marketing and promotions at the destination and firm levels
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Benefit from the currency devaluation and increased competitiveness on the international market to
attract new markets/market segments
• Create an innovative and flexible destination brand for Lebanon based on the new global trends with
a focus on Millennials and Generation Z
• Promote Lebanon as a destination for experiential and transformational tourism
• Invest in digital marketing and promotion and build brand awareness on the tourism e-marketplace
for regional destinations, firms, and service providers
• Target niche, resilient, and risk-tolerant markets (including the Lebanese diaspora)
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide technical and financial support to service providers and firms (accommodation services, F&B services, agro-tourism
facilities, tour operators, nature reserves, wineries), wine routes, clusters and DMOs to upgrade and enhance their digital
media presence, and to reach out to different market segments on the domestic and international level
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2) Support regional clusters, DMOSs, nature reserves and national NGOs such as USEIL and LMTA to establish data collection
and analysis systems and to conduct market research in order to disseminate findings among relevant sub-sectors and rural and
nature-based tourism operators
Potential partners and champion firms
All organizations mentioned in the previous interventions, in addition to:
Media: Lebanon Traveler magazine and website
Digital platforms: Karya, Staycation Lebanon
IV.8 BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIROMENT
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Dysfunctional public sector and weak ministry
• Unclear mandates and overlap of responsibilities
• Weak value chain integration among key tourism service providers and stakeholders’ fragmentation
• Absence of national tourism development strategy
• Obsolete legal framework and unfavorable enabling environment for innovation and sustainable tourism
• Lack of data and absence of tourism satellite accounts to ensure informed decision-making
• Financial crisis and absence of capital investment
• Missing regulatory framework and absence of categorization, standard, quality control, certification and labeling for all rural
and nature-based tourism types (ecotourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism) and their corresponding service providers (eco-tour operators,
local guides, hiking guides, mountain and outdoor sports guides, camping sites, eco-lodges)
• Increased awareness among key tourism stakeholders on the need to better organize rural and nature-based tourism types from a legal perspective and the need to integrate them in the general tourism value chain
• Urgent need to change the tourism business model in light of the compound crisis facing Lebanon
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Link conventional tourism service providers such as hotels and travel agents to rural and nature-
based tourism service providers and MSMEs such as small tour operators and tour guides
• Create an inbound travel business association formed of a cluster of specialized travel agents, tour
operators, and selected hotels and rural accommodation facilities
• Support the development of a regulatory/institutional framework for rural and nature-based tourism
and emerging tourism, and hospitality services/activities
• Categorize, standardize, and establish local/regional/national or international quality control systems,
labeling systems and/or certifications for rural and nature-based tourism types (ecotourism,
adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism) and their corresponding service
providers (eco-tour operators, local guides, hiking guides, mountain and outdoor sports guides,
camping sites, eco-lodges)
• Support service providers to acquire international certification when available and relevant, such as
with some outdoor activities (climbing, canyoning, paragliding, mountain guiding) and some
accommodation services (eco-lodges)
• Develop a national tourism sector strategy, with emphasis on sustainable, experimental, and
transformational tourism
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 79
Illustrative interventions
1) Support the creation of an inbound travel business association formed of a cluster of specialized travel agents, tour operators
and selected rural accommodation facilities, as well as leading operators in the ecotourism, agro-tourism, adventure tourism,
gastronomy and wine tourism sectors. The inbound travel business association will work international tourism promotion and
creating business linkages with international travel agents and tour operators.
2) Support nature reserves, clusters, DMOs, syndicates, and national NGOs to organize regional and national workshops and
seminars to elaborate specific guidelines, standards, and criteria to categorize existing rural and nature-based service providers
and activities, as well as to enhance visitors’ experience and guarantee a high-quality service. The guidelines, standards and
criteria can be translated into quality control systems, labeling systems and/or certification programs, based on similar
international schemes.
3) Create a national forum for rural and nature-based tourism involving all relevant stakeholders to share knowledge and
experiences, and to study and discuss organizational, management and legal issues, in addition to integrating the sustainability
dimensions in the rural and nature-based tourism types.
Potential partners and champion firms
All organizations mentioned in previous interventions
IV.9 PRIORITIZATION OF INTERVENTIONS
The below tables prioritize the rural and nature-based tourism interventions of the ARE activity based
on the needed time for execution with three proposed timeframes: short term (one to two years),
medium term (three to five years), through which the project will set the ground for long term
initiatives (over five years). The proposed interventions are also compared to their influence on three
main market segments: 1) domestic; 2) the Lebanese diaspora; and 3) international tourists. These three
markets are differently affected by the three overarching challenges facing Lebanon’s tourism sector: 1)
political and security instability; 2) the economic and financial crisis; and 3) the COVID-19 pandemic.
TABLE 21: LEBANON’S WINERIES TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS
Time line
Level of interventions
Sub-sector Area of interventions Influence on
domestic
market
Influence on diaspora
market
Influence on international
market
Short term
Micro level Ecotourism, agro-tourism gastronomy/wine tourism
Individual operators, firms,
NGOs, farmers, cooperatives, nature
reserves, villages
High High High
Medium
term Meso level
Ecotourism, agro-tourism, adventure tourism,
gastronomy/wine tourism
Unions of municipalities, clusters, DMOs, national
networks Medium Medium High
Long term
Macro level
Enabling environment, legal framework, sector
organization, national
strategies, marketing and promotion
Low Low High
TABLE 22: CRISIS INFLUENCE ON MAIN TOURISM MARKET
Market Sub-sector Political and
security
instability
Economic and financial crisis COVID-19 pandemic
Domestic Ecotourism, soft adventure, agro-tourism, gastronomy
tourism
Slightly affected Affected on the long term,
except for niche markets with
high purchase power
Slightly affected without full lockdowns; highly affected if full
lockdowns persist for long periods
Diaspora Ecotourism, agro-tourism, soft and hard adventure, gastronomy/wine tourism
Moderately affected
Increased attractiveness and competitiveness of the
destination due to currency devaluation
Highly affected until global tourism restarts and the destination gains
trust of travelers International Highly affected
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 80
IV.10 GLOBAL TOURISM TRENDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COVID-19
ADAPTATION AND RECOVERY
Ongoing and future tourism development projects in Lebanon should take into consideration the
recommendations and guidelines published on a continuous basis by international tourism organizations
such UNWTO, WTTC, ATTA, Biosphere Responsible Tourism, and the Global Travel and Tourism
Resilience Council, to guide governments, donors, tourism professionals, and tourism service providers
on COVID-19 coping and adaptation mechanisms as well as the post-COVID-19 trends and recovery
pathways. These recommendations focus on the following issues and trends:
• Traveler preferences and behaviors are shifting toward the familiar, predictable, and trusted
products and destinations.
• Domestic vacations, proximity tourism, extensive planning, and the outdoors and nature-based
tourism will reign in the short-term.
• Health, safety, and trust are paramount in the new era for travel and tourism.
• Revision of operational procedures and staff preparedness are necessary.
• Businesses will have to collaborate even more closely with their extended value chains.
• COVID-19 is likely to have stronger negative impacts on urban markets. Domestic and international
travelers will choose to stay away from urban areas after confinement and in a post-COVID-19
phase.
• There is a need to create crisis management manuals, taking note that the COVID-19 context can
be repeated with other scenarios such as natural disasters.
• It is important to include tourism in national, regional, and global economic emergency packages.
• COVID-19 is proving to be an unexpected catalyst in the travel and tourism sector’s quest for
innovation and digitalization.
• There is a need for the diversification of markets, products, and services.
• Investment in market intelligence systems and digital transformation is important.
• Reinforcement of brand value and solidification of sustainability practices/values is key to succeeding
with growing competition and decreasing market size.
• The world has been reinvigorated to tackle social, environmental, and institutional sustainability. In
particular, heightened public awareness of wildlife markets and poaching has boosted advocacy for
wildlife protection.
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• It is important to transition towards a circular economy and embracing the Sustainable
Development Goals.
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ANNEX 1: LIST OF INTERVIEWED STAKEHOLDERS Organization Region Contact Person Position Phone Email
Unions
Union of Sustainable & Ecotourism Institutions in Lebanon
Lebanon Pascal Abdallah Founder 03-218048 [email protected]
NGOs
Lebanon Mountain Trail Association Lebanon Omar Sakr Board member 03-435707 [email protected]
Tour operators and clubs
Lebanese Adventure Lebanon Serge Soueid Owner 03-214989 [email protected]
Club Thermique Lebanon Raja Saadeh Owner 03-288193 [email protected]
Routes LB North, Akkar and Mount Lebanon Anthony Badoui Owner 76-338762 [email protected]
Le Passeport Culinaire Lebanon Marianne Abou Jaoudeh Founder 70-500633 [email protected]
Governmental
Ministry of Tourism Lebanon Petra Obeid Local development office 03-559576 [email protected]
Agro-tourism with accommodation and/or F&B services
Domaine de Taanayel Taanayel – Central Beqaa Elia Ghorra Manager 03-814441 [email protected] Little Reed Qsaybe – Baabda, Mount Lebanon Elissa Zeidan Cortas Owner 76-007300 [email protected] La Vallée Blanche Ehmej – Jbeil, Mount Lebanon Bassam Matta Owner 03-709604 [email protected] Wineries with accommodation and/or F&B services
Sept winery Nahleh – Batroun, North Lebanon Maher Harb Owner 70-570170 [email protected] Chateau Qanafar Qanafar – West Beqaa Eddy Naim Wine maker 613250342 [email protected] Domaine des Tourelles Central Beqaa Fawzi Issa Wine maker 03-805925 [email protected] Clos St. Thomas Qab Elias – Central Beqaa Joa Touma Owner 03-716107 [email protected] Domaine St. Gabriel Ghalboun – Jbeil, Mount Lebanon Elie Gebrayel Owner 03-305077 [email protected] Nature reserves
Jabal Moussa Biosphere reserve Kesrouane – Mount Lebanon Tania Ballan Ecotourism manager 70-206644 [email protected]
Shouf Biosphere Reserve Shouf – Mount Lebanon Nizar Hani General manager 03-513845 [email protected]
Natural attractions
Batara Gorge Chatine – Batroun, North Lebanon Fadi Chaer Manager 03-700071 [email protected]
Rural accommodation
Cezar guesthouse Barouk – Shouf, Mount Lebanon Cezar Mahmoud Owner 03-051106 [email protected]
Lakloul country lodge Laklouk – Jbeil, Mount Lebanon Lara El Hachem Manager 71-235151 [email protected]
Chahtoul camping Kesrouane – Mount Lebanon Becharah Salameh Owner 70-302040 [email protected]
Unions of municipalities
Zgharta Union of Municipalities North Lebanon Ghassan Tayyoun Vice-president 76-111520 [email protected]
Kesrouane Union of Municipalities Mount Lebanon Rachid Otaki Tourism coordinator 71-755511 [email protected]
Bouhayra Union of Municipalities West Beqaa – Beqaa Yehya Daher President 71-150462 [email protected]
Transportation
Saad transportation Lebanon Amine Nasser General manager 03-722922 [email protected]
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 83
ANNEX 2: MUNICIPALITIES AND UNIONS OF
MUNICIPALITIES ACTIVE IN RURAL AND NATURE-
BASED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION
Municipalities and unions active in rural and nature-based tourism development and promotion* Caza Union Municipalities Akkar - Menjez*, Mechmech, Fnaideq, Qobayat
Minieh-Dannieh Dannieh Union Bqaa Safrine, Kfar Bebnine, Sir Hermel - Hermel Baalbeck Deir El Ahmar Ainata*, Barqa, Bechouat, Deir El Ahmar*, Yammouneh
Bcharreh Bcharreh Union Bcharreh, Bqaa Kafra, Bazaaoun, Hadath El Jebbeh*, Hadchit, Hasroun Zgharta Zgharta Aarjes, Miziara, Zagharta-Ehden
Koura - Anfeh Batroun - Assia, Batroun, Bchaaleh*, Douma, Tannourine*
Jbeil - Aalmat, Ehmej*, Fatreh*, Ghalboun Kesrouane Kesrouane Union Daraia, Dlebta, Faraya, Hayata, Kfardebiane*, Kfour, Yahchouch, Zaitre Matn - Baskinta, Bikfaya, Choueir, Khinchara*, Mtain
Baabda - Aaraya, Arsoun, Falougha, Hammana*, Qornayel*, Ras El Maten Aley - Aley, Kfarmatta, Ramlieh Shouf Souayjani Union Ain Zhalta, Baadaran, Baaqline, Deir El Qamar, Barouk*, Jbaa, Maasser El Shouf, Mristi
Jezzine Jezzine Union Bkassine*, Jezzine*, Lebaa, Roum Sidon - Maghdouche*, Qraiyeh* Tyre - Sour (Tyre)
Bent Jbeil - Ain Ebel*, Tibnine Nabatieh - - Marjayoun Jabal Amel Union Deir Mimes, Ibl El Saqi
Hasbaya Hasbani Union Chebaa, Hasbaya, Kawkaba*, Rachaya El Foukhar Rachaya Qalaat El Istiklal Kfar Michki, Mdoukha, Mhaidseh, Rachaya* West Beqaa Bouhaira Union Ain Zebdeh, Aintanit, Kherbet Qanafar, Machghara, Qaraoun Zahle - Aanjar, Qab Elias, Zahleh-Taanayel
Source: Author
* Supported by USAID funded programs
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ANNEX 3: PROTECTED TOURISTIC SITES BY DECISION
OF THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM Site Characteristics Mohafazat Caza Decision no. Year
Arqa Archéologique site Akkar - 198 1993
Qammoua natural landscape Dense forest and mountain plateau Akkar - 198 1993
Beni Saab farm Natural and agricultural landscape North Lebanon Bcharreh 634 1999
Mezyara Village Historical monument, natural landscape North Lebanon Zgharta 268 2004
Kousba Village Historical monument, natural landscape North Lebanon Koura 271 2004
Hardeen Village Historical monuments, religious heritage and natural landscape
North Lebanon Batroun 270 2004
Chaqra and Doubbeih fortress Crusaders fortress Nabatieh Bint Jbeil 265 2004
Jbaa Village Historical monument, natural landscape Nabatieh Nabatieh 266 2004
Arnoun Crusaders fortress Nabatieh Nabatieh 267 2004
Al Hebbariyeh Village Historical monument, natural landscape Nabatieh Hasbaya 263 2004
Shameh fortress Crusaders fortress South Lebanon Tyre 269 2004
Al Shawaghir Village Historical monument and natural landscape Baalbeck-Hermel Hermel 262 2004
Zanoubiya water canal Historical monument, natural landscape Baalbeck-Hermel Hermel 264 2004
Qaa El Reem Historical monument, natural landscape Beqaa Zahle 325 2004
Source: http://www.moe.gov.lb/protectedareas/categories.htm
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ANNEX 4: SITES OF NATURAL AND/OR ECOLOGICAL
IMPORTANCE IN NEED FOR PROTECTION IN LEBANON Grottos Location
Al Rwaess grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafzat – Jbeil Caza
Afqa grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafzat – Jbeil Caza
Ain Labne grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafzat – Jbeil Caza
Salem grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafzat – Kesrouan Caza
Al Tarash grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafzat – Kesrouan Caza
Kfarhim grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafzat – Shouf Caza
Dahr El Ain grotto North Lebanon Mohafazat
Al Rahwa Spring grotto North Lebanon Mohafazat – Batroun Caza
Zoud grotto North Lebanon Mohafazat
Al Motran grotto North Lebanon Mohafazat
Al Hawa grotto North Lebanon Mohafazat
Al Shatawi spring grotto South Lebanon Mohafazat
Al Rihan grotto South Lebanon Mohafazat – Jezzine Caza
Deir Amess grotto South Lebanon Mohafazat – Bent Jbeil Caza
Haris grotto South Lebanon Mohafazat – Bent Jbeil Caza
Debl grotto South Lebanon Mohafazat – Bent Jbeil Caza
Jeita grotto Mount Lebanon Mohafazat – Kesrouan Caza
Al Kasarat grotto
Sinkholes
Kateen Azar (Tarshish) Mount Lebanon Mohafazat – North Metn caza
Fawar Dara (Tarshish) Mount Lebanon Mohafazat – North Metn caza
Meshemshiyit (Tarshish) Mount Lebanon Mohafazat – North Metn caza
Al Badwiyi Mount Lebanon Mohafazat – Kesrouan Caza
Al Abed (Tannourine) North Lebanon Mohafazat – Batroun Caza
Al Kadaha (Tannourine) North Lebanon Mohafazat – Batroun Caza
Osman Al Ramhi North Lebanon Mohafazat
Smokhaya (Rmeich) South Lebanon Mohafazat – Bent Jbeil Caza
Katmeen (Rmeich) South Lebanon Mohafazat – Bent Jbeil Caza
Geo-sites
Sites with Calcerous- Karstic rocks ex. Faytroun and Rayfoun in Kesrouan; Douma in Batroun
Mount Lebanon Mohafazat – Kesrouan Caza
Forests
Al Qelleh Forest (Akkar) North Lebanon Mohafazat – Akkar Caza
Al Ozor (Fneidek) North Lebanon Mohafazat – Akkar Caza
Other
Bshaalé Olives North Lebanon Mohafazat – Batroun Caza
Sir Doniyeh Valley North Lebanon Mohafazat – Doniyi Caza
Sheikh Zinad area North Lebanon Mohafazat
Al Kneisse Mountain (Sinkholes and dollines)
Sanine Mountain
Sandy beach of Al Mansouri (South of Litani) South Lebanon Mohafazat
Litani Stream Bekaa Mohafazat -South Lebanon Mohafazat
Source: http://www.moe.gov.lb/protectedareas/categories.htm
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 86
ANNEX 5: LEBANESE WINERIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Winery Mohafazat Caza Village Founded Production
scale
Capacity in
BottlesVineyard Size in Ha
Number of
productsRed wine
Rose
wineWhite wine Sweet wine Arak Other products
Organic
wine
Restaurant/F&B
servicesBoutique Accommodation
Wine
tasting
Winery
tour
Vineyard
tour
Wine grape
harvesting eventsVisit Architecture
Venue/
eventsOther activities
Member of
UVLWebsite
Cave Kouroum Beqaa West Beqaa Kefraya 1998 Medium 400,000 Yes 180 10 Yes Yes Yes No YesOlive oil
VinegarNo No No No Yes Yes No No Walk in Modern No No No cavekouroum.com
Chateau Kefraya Beqaa West Beqaa Kefraya 1951 Large 1,500,000 Yes 320 15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Mistelle No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Walk in Traditional Yes No Yes chateaukefraya.com
Chateau Marsyas Beqaa West Beqaa Kefraya 2005 Small 60,000 Yes 65 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Online booking Modern Yes No No chateaumarsyas.com
Chateau Qanafar Beqaa West Beqaa Kherbet Qanafar 2005 Small 55,000 Yes 17 8 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No Yes chateauqanafar.com
Umami Wines Beqaa West Beqaa Kherbet Qanafar 2018 Micro 18,000 No N/A 2 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Terre Joie Beqaa West Beqaa Kherbet Qanafar 2008 Micro 22,000 Yes 10 4 Yes Yes No No No No No No No No Yes No Yes No Phone booking Traditional No No No terrejoie.com
Latourba Beqaa West Beqaa Saghbine 2014 Small 60,000 Yes 45 10 Yes Yes Yes No No Sparkling wine No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No No latourba.com
St Clement Winery Beqaa West Beqaa Saghbine 2010 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Reserve Ammiq Beqaa West Beqaa Ammiq 2008 Micro 8,000 Yes 70 5 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No Yes No No No Phone booking Traditional No Ecotourism No reserveammiq.com
Chateau Ksara Beqaa Zahle Ksara 1857 Large 3,000,000 Yes 450 19 Yes Yes Yes Yes YesEau de Vin
MoscatelNo Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Walk in Traditional Yes No Yes chateauksara.com
Domaine des Tourelles Beqaa Zahle Chtaura 1868 Medium 350,000 Yes 50 10 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Liqueur No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No No Yes domainedestourelles.com
Chateau Ka Beqaa Zahle Chtaura 2004 Medium 300,000 No N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No Yes kassatly.net/chateau-ka
Chateau Heritage Beqaa Zahle Qab Elias 1997 Medium 300,000 Yes 100 12 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern NoHiking
Farm visitYes chateauheritage.com
Chateau St Thomas Beqaa Zahle Qab Elias 1997 Medium 450,000 Yes 65 9 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Modern No No Yes chateaustthomas.com
Domaine Wardy Beqaa Zahle Zahle 1994 Medium 320,000 Yes 12 17 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Vodka No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes No Yes domainewardy.com
Chateau Khoury Beqaa Zahle Zahle 2004 Small 50,000 Yes 15 12 Yes Yes Yes Yes YesFruit brandies
Orange blossomYes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes chateaukhoury.com
Domaine de Baal Beqaa Zahle Zahle 2006 Micro 20,000 Yes 6 3 Yes No Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes domainedebaal.com
Coteaux du Liban Beqaa Zahle Zahle 1999 Medium 100,000 Yes 15 6 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Phone booking Modern No No Yes libancave.com
Massaya (closed) Beqaa Zahle Taanayel 1998 Small 70,000 Yes N/A 7 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Modern Yes No No massaya.com
Chateau Nakad Beqaa Zahle Jdita 1923 Medium 400,000 Yes N/A 9 Yes Yes Yes No YesAfandello
GinNo No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes chateaunakad.com
Clos MasHelios Beqaa Zahle Jdita 2007 Micro 5,000 Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No closmashelios.com
Chateau Rayak Beqaa Zahle Rayak 2015 Micro 25,000 Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional Yes No No chateaurayak.com
Vertical 33 Beqaa Zahle Mraijet 2014 Micro N/A Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional Yes No No vertical33.com
Domaine des Deux Montagnes Beqaa Rachaya Beit Lahiya 2016 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 2 Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Barka Baalbeck-Hermel Baalbeck Barka 2009 Medium 150,000 Yes N/A 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No Phone booking Modern NoHiking
BikingNo vignaverde.net
Couvent Rouge Baalbeck-Hermel Baalbeck Deir El Ahmar 2010 Medium 120,000 Yes 260 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern Yes No No couventrougewinery.com
Muse du Liban Baalbeck-Hermel Baalbeck Ainata El Arz 2015 Small 50,000 Yes 70 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No museduliban.com
Domaine St Gabriel Mount Lebanon Jbeil Ghalboun 2017 Micro 25,000 Yes 7 1 Yes No No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Phone booking Modern No Hiking No N/A
Chateau Gharzouz Mount Lebanon Jbeil Gharzouz 2015 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 1 Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Wadih Winery and Cidery Mount Lebanon Jbeil Mgheire-Akoura 2008 Micro 8,000 Yes 2 13 Yes No Yes No NoSparkling cidre
Blue wineNo No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Musar Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Ghazir 1930 Large 700,000 Yes 180 10 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes chateaumusar.com
Château Sainte-Andrée Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Ghbaleh 2013 Micro N/A N/A N/A 4 Yes Yes Yes No No Liqueur No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional Yes No No N/A
Chateau Bybline Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Wata El Joz 1996 Micro 10,000 Yes 2 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No chateaubybline.com
Chateau Fakra Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Kfardebiane 1985 Medium 250,000 Yes 40 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No chateaufakra.com
Vignoble Joura Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Kfardebiane 2018 Micro N/A Yes N/A 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No Hiking No N/A
Cave des Ours Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Kfardebiane 2015 Micro N/A No N/A 3 No No No No Yes Apple wine No No No No No No No No N/A Traditional No No No cavedesours.com
Riachi Winery and Distellery Mount Lebanon Matn Khenchara 1839 Small 90,000 Yes 20 20 Yes Yes Yes No YesWhiskey
Gin No Yes No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No riachi.me
Riachi Vineyards Mount Lebanon Matn Khenchara 2006 Small N/A N/A N/A 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Cave du Monastere St Jean Mount Lebanon Matn Khenchara 1720 Micro 20,000 Yes 15 6 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Phone booking Monastic No No No N/A
Chateau Oumsiyat Mount Lebanon Matn Mtein 1950 Large 700,000 Yes 90 14 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Blue wine No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes Hiking Yes chateauoumsiyat.com
Ardoum Mount Lebanon Matn Mtein 1982 Micro N/A N/A N/A 3 Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Traditional Yes Hiking No N/A
Domaine des Princes Mount Lebanon Matn Mtein 1950 Medium 200,000 Yes 23 2 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Trois Collines Mount Lebanon Baabda Dahr El Baydar 2015 Small 70,000 Yes 40 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
The Three Brothers Mount Lebanon N/A N/A 2019 Micro N/A N/A N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Gin No No No No No No No No N/A Modern N/A No No N/A
Domaine Kortbawi Mount Lebanon Baabda Kfarselwan 1887 Small N/A N/A N/A N/A Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Traditional No No No N/A
Chateau Nabise Mount Lebanon Aley Rechmaya 1999 Micro 15,000 Yes 2 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No No No nabise.com
Chateau Cana Mount Lebanon Aley Ras El Harf 1999 Medium 100,000 Yes 13 10 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Traditional Yes No Yes chateaucana.com
Iris Domain Mount Lebanon Aley Bhamdoun 2010 Micro 5,000 Yes 5 1 Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Yes No No No Phone booking Traditional No No No irisdomain.com
Chateau Belle Vue Mount Lebanon Aley Bhamdoun 2000 Micro 20,000 Yes 24 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional Yes No Yes chateaubelle-vue.com
Chateau Florentine Mount Lebanon Shouf Majdel Meouch 2010 Small N/A Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Traditional No No No N/ASt Michael Winery Mount Lebanon Shouf Masser El Shouf 2010 Micro 10,000 No N/A 7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Rose Water No Yes No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No N/AAtibaia Winery North Lebanon Batroun Smar Jbeil 2008 Micro 12,000 Yes 5 5 Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Online booking Traditional No No Yes atibaiawine.com
Aurora winery and vineyards North Lebanon Batroun Rachkiddeh 2003 Micro 10,000 Yes 3 6 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Online booking Traditional No No Yes aurorawinery.com
Batroun mountains North Lebanon Batroun Rawabi 2003 Small 50,000 Yes 12 25 Yes Yes Yes Yes YesOrange liqueur
Sparkling wineYes No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Sanctus North Lebanon Batroun Mar Mama 1999 Micro 20,000 Yes 10 4 Yes No No No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No Yes chateausanctuslebanon.com
Clos du Pheonix North Lebanon Batroun Eddeh 2013 Micro 10,000 Yes 6 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes No Yes closduphoenix.com
Coteuax de Botrys North Lebanon Batroun Eddeh 1998 Small N/A Yes 17 2 Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No Yes N/A
Domaine S. Najm North Lebanon Batroun Chabtine 1994 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 2 Yes No No No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No N/A
Ixsir North Lebanon Batroun Basbina 2008 Medium 300,000 Yes 120 8 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Walk in Traditional Yes No Yes ixsir.com
Sept winery North Lebanon Batorun Nahleh 2016 Micro 7,000 Yes 2 2 Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes No No levinsept.com
Ishtar winery North Lebanon Koura Dar Baachtar 2015 Micro 15,000 Yes 4 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Mont d'Almaz North Lebanon Bcharreh Beit Menzer 2006 Micro N/A Yes N/A 3 Yes Yes No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No Hiking No montdalmaz.com
Les Caves d'Eden North Lebanon Zaghrta Toula-Ehden 2017 Micro N/A Yes N/A 6 Yes Yes Yes No No Lemoncello No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No Hiking No N/A
Karam wines South Lebanon Jezzine Qattine 2002 Small 90,000 Yes N/A 13 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Online booking Modern No No Yes karamwines.com
Les Vigne du Marjes Nabatieh Marjayoun Marjayoun 2018 Micro 20,000 Yes 5 5 Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No lesvignesdumarje.com
AdyarMount Lebanon
North Lebanon
Batroun
Jbeil
Kfifane
Maad2001 Medium N/A Yes N/A 15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Phone booking Monastic Yes No Yes adyar.org.lb
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 87
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