A cautious revival

ENAR

For the first time since the onset of the war in Syria, there is finally positive news coming from Lebanon’s hospitality sector. The election of a president and the formation of a government in late 2016, and the lack of major security incidents in Greater Beirut since the second half of 2015, have given Lebanon the stability it needs to be seen as a safe destination once again. This has had an almost immediate impact on the hospitality sector. Instead of lamenting dwindling tourist numbers and empty hotel rooms, the five star hoteliers interviewed by Executive were only too happy to talk about increased revenues and high occupancy rates (see article page 30). This trend is expected to continue through summer 2017, despite the recent crisis in relations between Qatar and the other GCC countries. The tourism sector sorely needs a good season. If expectations hold up and summer 2017