Summer is upon us, and in this post-election period, in the midst of the global recession, an air of optimism has washed over Lebanon. The pundits are predicting that we will end the year having welcomed 2 million tourists. There was a time when 1 million visitors were seen as a benchmark of good health for the national economy, but today — even with the spectacular political blips that Lebanon has experienced over the last few years — our pull remains irresistible. The boom, if it happens, will surely boost the tourism sector’s share of the economy to $2.5 billion, create jobs and contribute to Lebanon’s image building (or should we say image re-building). No one has apparently asked where the surplus visitors will stay, and even a quick back-of-the-envelope calculation will show that guest houses from Bint Jbeil to Hermel will be overflowing. This does not mean that Lebanon
