Low-Cost Tourism is a Bad Fit for Lebanon

Beaches in Lebanon. Cartoon by Sareen Akharjalian
The Lebanese minister of tourism is trying to salvage this disastrous summer season by luring in low-cost travelers. To his credit, he’s having talks with European low cost airlines and Lebanese hotels to arrange for low cost vacations to last-minute European travelers.

Unfortunately, this won’t work because it goes against the very grain of Lebanon’s tourism industry.

For the past few years, Lebanon has been building its tourism infrastructure around the requirements and whims of high-spending visitors. We built 5-star hotels and luxury shopping districts. We courted luxury restaurants and clothing brands, we hosted yachts and jewelry trade shows, we built extravagant nightclubs and swimming pools, we put valet parkings everywhere, from universities to McDonalds.

And it’s working. Tourists in Lebanon are the 2nd highest spenders in the world, and most of their spending goes to clothing and jewelry.

It’s who we are

Luxury tourism is a good fit for Lebanon for two reasons:

• This is an expensive country: Going to the beach is famously costly and parties and concerts cost little fortunes to attend. Our internet and phone call rates are abismal. If we want our visitors to be happy they have better have plenty of money not to notice.
• We are snobs. I’m not saying this disparagingly, but we like to dress well and wear full makeup to parties. We look down at people who show up in flip-flops, and we consistently embarrass foreigners who show up underdressed to our weddings and parties.

Bargain Hunters not welcome

Minister Abboud’s plans are ambitious, but diversifying Lebanese tourism from one based on luxury tourists to one that accomodates low-cost travelers is not something you decide in a last-minute plan. It’s something that needs long term preparation and strategic vision. We need big 2-star and 3-star hotels, cheap and adequate beaches, more free festivals and cheaper restaurants.

And it’s not even clear if that is a worthwhile undertaking. What we do well is luxury tourism. We’re just having a rotten season.