Pandering to the penny pinchers

by Zak Brophy August 3, 2012

written by Zak Brophy August 3, 2012

High end shopping centers have resorted to huge sales to encourage customers to invest.

The vitality of Lebanon’s economy is intrinsically linked to the annual influx of tourists laden with their foreign coin. It is little surprise then that the vagaries of this temperamental sector play a large role in determining the national mood. And yet while income from the tourism trade roughly constitutes a fifth to a third of the whole economy, depending on how you calculate it, the finance ministry’s 2012 budget proposal allocates the Ministry of Tourism’s $18.5 million in funding, one of the lowest within the government. “Our budget is a catastrophe,” remarked Michel Habis, advisor to the Minister of Tourism Fadi Abboud. There is also no coherent strategy for the sector in Lebanon. There are ideas, proposals and plans, but most have been swamped in the miasma of cabinet and parliamentary debates, and thus never see the light of day. “The Ministry of Tourism is trying to apply a

Tourism

Zak Brophy

Zak is an experienced series producer, having led successful podcasts like The Bomb - Series 2 (BBC World Service) and Stealing Victory (Auddy productions). He recently served as story editor for The Belgrano Diary by the London Review of Books. Previously, he produced documentaries and news programs for BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4. Fluent in Arabic, with a strong background in Middle Eastern history and politics, he is passionate about the evolving audio industry and brings creativity and enthusiasm to every project.

Pandering to the penny pinchers

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