Bringing Them Back

Optimism has cult status among Lebanese tourism professionals. Having suffered blow after blow over decades, the sector’s seasoned practitioners today display a measure of immunity to bad news and business downturns.  But you look at the numbers and wonder if quiet weeping or the occasional liberating scream of frustration might not be justified. According to the statistics published by the ministry of tourism, the numbers of arriving visitors in the first five months of the year registered at 301,446, a 19% drop from 372,689 in the same period last year. The month of May showed no difference from the overall downward trend, as it saw arrivals fall by 21% over May 2004, from 85,133 to 67,026 incoming tourists. This immediate picture is not set to improve for June, according to managers at international hotels. Although events such as the Arab Economic Forum, the Operation and Maintenance Conference, and hospitality show