Baalbeck Festival ‘to return home’

The last couple of years have been tough for Lebanese tourism, and one of the areas hardest hit is certainly Baalbeck. The town, home to the most famous and stunning Roman ruins in the country, is located just a few kilometers from the Syrian border. As the Bekaa Valley region has become increasingly lawless and violent, with the civil war from neighboring Syria creeping into Lebanon, tourists have steered clear of the area. Last summer Baalbeck International Festival announced it was not going to be held in the city’s ancient ruins due to security concerns. This was the first time since it was relaunched in 1997 that it was forced to relocate. Yet, in a decision that will be widely welcomed in Lebanon, the event organizers are now aiming to return to the city. “This year, we are planning to be in Baalbeck,” Nayla de Freige, president of Baalbeck International