This report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The content of this report is the sole responsibility of the Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. Government. LEBANON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL EMPOWERMENT (ARE) ACTIVITY SECTOR ANALYSIS Ecotourism, Agro-tourism, Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
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This report is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID). The content of this report is the sole responsibility of the Agriculture and Rural
Empowerment (ARE) Activity and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. Government.
LEBANON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
EMPOWERMENT (ARE) ACTIVITY
SECTOR ANALYSIS
Ecotourism, Agro-tourism, Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | i
LEBANON AGRICULTURE AND RURAL
EMPOWERMENT (ARE) ACTIVITY
SECTOR ANALYSIS
Ecotourism, Agro-tourism, Gastronomy and Wine Tourism
Program Title: Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity
Sponsoring USAID Office: <<<>>>
Contract Number: <<<>>>
Contractor: Chemonics Beirut SARL
Date of Publication: March 2021
Author: Lebanon ARE project team
Cover photo courtesy: Rami Rizk
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 2
CONTENTS
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5
I. INTRODUCTION 6
I.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND 6
I.2 OBJECTIVE 6
I.3 METHODOLOGY 6
II. TOURISM SECTOR OVERVIEW 7
II.1 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO THE GDP 7
II.2 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYMENT 8
II.3 MARKET DYNAMICS 8
II.3.1 International market 8
II.3.2 Domestic market 10
II.3.2 Competitiveness 11
III. RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM 12
III.1 VALUE CHAIN, TYPOLOGY AND MARKET SEGMENTATION 12
III.1.1 The tourism value chain 12
III.1.2 Tourism market segmentation 14
III.2 LEBANON’S RURAL AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE 15
III.3 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM EVOLUTION 17
III.4 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS 21
III.4.1 Travel organization and booking 21
III.4.2 Transportation 23
III.4.3 Accommodation 24
III.4.4 Food and beverage 27
III.4.5 Excursions and tours 28
III.4.6 Support institutions 29
III.5 INSTITUTIONAL AND DONORS SUPPORT 34
III.5.1 Policies and strategies 34
III.5.2 Donors assistance 37
III.6 RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM TYPOLOGY AND ANALYSIS 38
III.6.1 Rural and nature-based tourism types 38
III.6.2 Ecotourism 39
III.6.3 Adventure tourism 54
III.6.4 Agro-tourism 60
III.6.5 Gastronomy and wine tourism 63
III.6.6 Local and regional destinations 68
IV. CHALLENGES, CONSTRAINTS, OPPORTUNITIES AND AREAS OF
INTERVENTION 70
IV.1 RURAL ACCOMODATION AND F&B SERVICES 70
Challenges and opportunities 70
Proposed intervention areas 71
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 3
IV.2 ATTRACTIONS, DESTINATIONS AND PRODUCTS 72
Challenges and opportunities 72
Proposed intervention areas 72
IV.3 ECOTOURISM 73
Challenges and opportunities 73
Proposed intervention areas 74
IV.4 ADVENTURE TOURISM 74
Challenges and opportunities 74
Proposed intervention areas 75
IV.5 AGRO-TOURISM 75
Challenges and opportunities 75
Proposed intervention areas 75
IV.6 GASTRONOMY AND WINE TOURISM 76
Challenges and opportunities 76
Proposed intervention areas 76
IV.7 MARKETING AND PROMOTION 77
Challenges and opportunities 77
Proposed intervention areas 77
IV.8 BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIROMENT 78
Challenges and opportunities 78
Proposed intervention areas 78
IV.9 PRIORITIZATION OF INTERVENTIONS 79
IV.10 GLOBAL TOURISM TRENDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COVID-19
ADAPTATION AND RECOVERY 80
ANNEX 1: LIST OF INTERVIEWED STAKEHOLDERS 82
ANNEX 2: MUNICIPALITIES AND UNIONS OF MUNICIPALITIES
ACTIVE IN RURAL AND NATURE-BASED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT
AND PROMOTION 83
ANNEX 3: PROTECTED TOURISTIC SITES BY DECISION OF THE
MINISTRY OF TOURISM 84
ANNEX 4: SITES OF NATURAL AND/OR ECOLOGICAL
IMPORTANCE IN NEED FOR PROTECTION IN LEBANON 85
ANNEX 5: LEBANESE WINERIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS 86
BIBLIOGRPAHY 87
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 4
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ADR Association du Développement Rural
ATTAL Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon
BALADI Building Alliance for Local Advancement, Development & Investment
BRHIA Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport
CAGR Compound Annual Growth Rate
CAS Central Administration of Statistics
CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction
CMF Cedar Mountain Foundation
DMO Destination Management Organization
ECOSOC Economic and Social Council
EY Ernst and Young
F&B Food and Beverage
FBOs Faith-Based Organizations
FHF Food Heritage Foundation
FTL Fair Trade Lebanon
GCC Gulf Cooperation Council
GDP Gross Domestic Product
IDAL Investment Development Authority of Lebanon
INVV Institut National de la Vigne et du Vin
LebHOA Lebanese Hotel Association
LED Lebanon Enterprise Development
LCA Lebanese Climbing Association
LDE Lebanon Diaspora Energy
LIVCD Lebanon Industry Value Chain Development
LMT Lebanon Mountain Trail
LMTA Lebanon Mountain Trail Association
LRI Lebanon Reforestation Initiative
LTE Lebanon Tourism Energy
MEA Middle East Airlines
MICE Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions
MOT Ministry of Tourism
MSME Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise
NGOs Non-governmental organizations
NTC National Tourism Council
OTAs Online Travel Agencies
PFA Partnership Framework Agreement
RevPAR Revenue Per Available Room
RMF René Moawad Foundation
SME Small and Medium Enterprise
TIF Trade and Investment Facilitation
UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization
USAID United States Agency for International Development
USEIL Union of Sustainable and Ecotourism Institutions in Lebanon
UVL Union Vinicole du Liban
VFR Visiting Friends and Relatives
WTTC World Travel & Tourism Council
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 5
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report presents findings from a rapid analysis on the current situation of Lebanon’s ecotourism,
adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism sectors. It lays out their
challenges/constraints, and the potential opportunities/interventions for the Lebanon Agriculture and
Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity in order to contribute to the recovery, stabilization, and growth
of these tourism types. The analysis employed desk research and interviews with relevant
stakeholders.
With its rich natural and cultural heritage, Lebanon has a wide variety of touristic attractions and
offers multiple forms of tourism including recreational, cultural, religious, rural, nature-based,
gastronomy and wine. In 2019, Lebanon’s tourism sector generated a total of $10.5 billion – 18% of
the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – and employed a direct and indirect workforce of 434,000
employees (19.2% of the total employment).
Hence, the performance of the tourism sector is highly dependent on political stability and security.
The combined crises facing Lebanon since October 2019 — the economic and financial collapse, and
the COVID-19 pandemic — had a severe impact on tourism, resulting in a 77% decrease in
international arrivals in the first five months of 2020, compared to the same period in 2019. In
addition to the political instability, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the economic recession, the major
challenges and constraints hindering tourism development in Lebanon, particularly rural and nature-
based tourism, include:
• Weak value chain integration and stakeholders’ fragmentation
• Absence of specific legal framework
• Absence of categorization, quality control, and certification for niche markets
• Limited skilled labor pool and brain drain
• Absence of Destination Management Organizations (DMOs) on the local/regional level
• Lack of data, market information and absence of tourism satellite accounts
• Absence of a national tourism brand and targeted international promotion strategy
Based on the sector value chain and business enabling environmental analysis in this document, a set
of opportunities and areas of intervention were identified to support the recovery, stabilization, and
growth of ecotourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism. They
include:
• Valorize the natural and cultural heritage and development of thematic tourism itineraries and
routes
• Assist/accompany tourism business associations and selected tourism firms in building/improving
their resilience towards crises and shocks (focusing on COVID-19 adaptation and mitigation
measures and financial crisis)
• Link conventional tourism service providers (large scale) to alternative tourism service providers
• Build regional clusters regrouping key tourism service providers and create territorial brands
• Create an innovative and flexible destination brand for Lebanon based on the new global trends
• Invest in digital marketing and promotion and build brand awareness on the tourism e-
marketplace
• Categorize, standardize and certify rural and nature-based tourism services and activities
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 6
I. INTRODUCTION
I.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND
The Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) Activity aims to develop rural economies in
Lebanon through providing support to the agri-food sector and other industries to unlock local and
export sales’ potential, while also creating jobs and increasing farmers’ and workers’ incomes. The
prioritized agriculture and non-agriculture value chains that ARE targets include: fresh and processed
produce; dairy and fodder; stone fruits; table grapes; wine and arak; ecotourism; agro-tourism; and
gastronomy and wine tourism. The specific objectives of the ARE activity are the following:
1. Increase domestic and export sales
2. Increase access to financial resources
3. Improve the productivity of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)
ARE utilizes a facilitative approach based on the theory of market systems development to
incentivize value chain stakeholders in prioritized value chains and sub-sectors to take advantage of
new and emerging opportunities. This aims to increase their potential to grow sales both
internationally and domestically. To implement this approach, ARE identifies through Annual
Program Statements (APS) Champion Firms, which serve as focal points for ARE to address
identified leverage opportunities within supported value chains. ARE co-creates partnerships with
these Champion Firms, resulting in a Partnership Framework Agreement (PFA) that guides the
implementation of joint interventions aiming to unlock opportunities and create the underpinnings
for new growth at the firm, value chain, and sub-sector levels.
As part of this co-creation process, ARE is developing a rural and nature-based tourism sector
analysis with a focus on ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism in consultation
with relevant stakeholders. This aims to identify critical barriers within each sub-sector, potential
solutions, and to outline targeted interventions needed to improve the performance of these sub-
sectors.
I.2 OBJECTIVE
The objective of this report is to assess and analyze the current situation of ecotourism, agro-
tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism in Lebanon, understand the integration of these tourism
types in the tourism value chain and map their key stakeholders, and identify constraints/challenges
and opportunities to be addressed by the ARE activity. The report will also suggest a baseline of
proxy indicators to capture the performance of the concerned tourism types before and after ARE’s
interventions.
I.3 METHODOLOGY
To develop this analysis, the ARE team conducted thorough and in-depth desk research including of
all recent publications, studies, statistics, reports, and articles related to rural tourism with a focus
on ecotourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism. In addition to the secondary review,
the ARE team conducted a participatory appraisal through interviews with 25 organizations and
entities representing key stakeholders and different rural tourism service providers. The interviewed
key informants were asked about the current situation of rural tourism, challenges/constraints,
opportunities of rural tourism in general and prioritized tourism types in particular, and the potential
interventions that might help rural tourism to recover (short term), stabilize (medium term) and
grow (long term), in light of the multiple crises that Lebanon is facing (Annex 1. List of
interviewed stakeholders).
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 7
II. TOURISM SECTOR OVERVIEW
Lebanon’s geographic location on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, its moderate climate,
and its rich cultural and natural heritage have contributed to making the country an important
destination for tourism in the region. The tourism sector has always been an important contributor
to the Lebanese economy, representing a major source of income and employment. Yet, the
performance of the tourism sector is highly dependent on political stability and security in the
country and the region.
II.1 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO THE GDP
Throughout the past fifteen years, tourism in Lebanon has witnessed irregular growth with many
downfall periods. Despite the unstable political and security situation between 2005 and 2009,
tourism contribution to the GDP remained stable with an average of $3.9 billion in terms of direct
contribution and $11 billion in total contribution. In 2010, Lebanon underwent political stability and
security and witnessed a touristic thrive that had never been previously registered in the post-Civil
War period. The direct contribution of tourism to the GDP was estimated at $4.5 billion (12.9%
growth compared to 2009), and its total contribution accounted for $13.2 billion (15.4% growth
compared to 2009). However, this growth did not last. Since 2011, the Lebanese tourism sector has
suffered from a compound crisis that began with the political and security instability as a result of the
Syrian conflict and consequential influx of Syrian refugees, which had a major impact on Lebanon’s
social, political and economic situation. This instability was further exacerbated by the October 2019
social and political unrest, followed by the worst financial and economic downturn in Lebanon’s
modern history. Consequently, the tourism sector registered negative growth at a Compounded
Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of -2.8% over the 2010-2019 period. By the end of 2019, the direct
and total contribution of tourism to the GDP were consecutively valued at $3.4 billion (7% of the
total GDP) and $10.5 billion (19.1% of the total GDP) (Figure 1).
FIGURE 1: TOURISM DIRECT AND TOTAL CONTRIBUTION TO LEBANON’S GDP
Source: www.wttc.org
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Lebanon’s leisure travel spending
generated 95.5% of the travel and tourism GDP in 2019, amounting to $9.3 billion. As for business
travel spending, it comprised the remaining 4.5% in the same year, amounting to $0.4 billion.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 8
The economic recession and tourism decline in Lebanon were aggravated in 2020 by the COVID-19
pandemic and the Beirut Port explosion on August 4, which destroyed much of the port and
severely damaged the dense residential and commercial areas of the capital within a five kilometer
radius, including many hotels and restaurants, and the vibrant neighborhoods of Gemayzeh and Mar
Mikhael, known for their nightlife. Figures on the tourism contribution to the GDP in 2020 are not
published yet, though the World Bank has estimated a 19.2% decline of the total real GDP in 2020
and projected a further 13.2% decrease in 2021. This projection assumes that COVID-19 effects will
carry through the first quarter of 2021, macro policy responses will continue to be absent, and
reconstruction and recovery efforts in the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion will remain limited.
II.2 TOURISM CONTRIBUTION TO EMPLOYMENT
The WTTC estimated that the tourism sector generated 132,000 jobs directly in 2019 (5.8% of total
employment). This includes employment by hotels and restaurants (around 90,000 employees), and
the remaining 42,000 in leisure services, travel agents, airlines, transportation (excluding commuter
services), and other diverse tourism service providers. The total contribution of the tourism sector
to employment, including wider effects from investment, the supply chain and induced income
impacts, was 434,000 jobs in 2019 (19.2% of total employment). There are no official statistics on
tourism employment in 2020, however, the major syndicates of the sector estimate that the
workforce decreased by at least 50% at least. It is still unknown if the loss of jobs is a temporary or
permanent phenomenon. Local media have reported that upwards of 17,000 hotel employees lost
their jobs in 2020, travel agencies are suffering from the currency devaluation crisis, and the food
and beverage (F&B) sector employees are all at risk.
II.3 MARKET DYNAMICS
II.3.1 INTERNATIONAL MARKET
According to the Ministry of Tourism (MOT), the highest number of international tourists’ arrival in
the last 10 years was registered in 2010 with 2.16 million visitors, compared to the lowest number
in 2013 with 1.27 million visitors. On average, Arabs constituted 31% of the total international
tourists and non-Arabs accounted for 69% in the period 2010-2019 (Figure 2).
FIGURE 2: EVOLUTION OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS’ ARRIVAL TO LEBANON 2010-2019
Source: Ministry of Tourism, excluding Lebanese, Syrians and Palestinians.
0.89
0.580.46 0.40 0.46 0.48 0.52 0.56 0.56 0.57
1.27
1.07
0.900.87
0.891.03
1.161.29
1.40 1.36
2.16
1.65
1.361.27
1.35
1.51
1.68
1.851.96 1.93
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Arab Non-arab Total
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 9
In the first five months of 2019, the number of international visitors was 855,210 compared to
197,465 during the same period in 2020. This 77% decrease in the number of international tourists is
primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on media estimations, the decrease reached nearly
90% by the end of 2020 compared to 2019.
In terms of international market segmentation, Europeans (mainly from France, Germany, and the
United Kingdom) constituted the highest share of international tourists visiting Lebanon, with an
average of 36% of the total number of international tourists for the period 2010-2019. The Arab
market (primarily Iraq and Jordan) is ranked second with 31% of international tourists. Before the
2011 crisis in Syria and the increasing political instability in Lebanon, the Arab market was dominated
by the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (GCC), specifically Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,
and the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). The share of this market segment decreased from 17% of
international tourist arrivals in 2010 to 7% in 2017. This significant drop is mainly due to travel bans
to Lebanon imposed by GCC governments. This decrease affected the tourism expenditures by
international tourists since GCC visitors have a higher spending level compared to Europeans and
other nationalities. The American market is ranked third with 17% of international arrivals, with
visitors mainly coming from the United States, Canada, and Brazil. It must be noted that arrivals from
South/East Asia and Africa pertain to migrant work more than tourism. Oceania has the lowest
share of international tourist arrivals to Lebanon (Figure 3). In terms of spending, international
visitors (or visitors’ exports) generated 89.7% of the direct travel and tourism GDP in 2019,
amounting to $8.7 billion.
FIGURE 3: DISTRIBUTION OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS BY ORIGIN (2010-2019 AVERAGE)
Source: Ministry of Tourism
Diaspora tourism
International tourist arrivals to Lebanon include Lebanese expatriates and diaspora traveling with
their foreign passports. According to Lebanon Economic Vision, the Lebanese diaspora constitutes
approximately 50% of the total foreign visits to Lebanon. The major countries of origin for the
Lebanese diaspora are the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, the United Kingdom,
Australia, the GCC, and African countries. Assuming that the diaspora does not stay in hotels, it was
estimated that the Lebanese diaspora spent nearly $5 billion on tourism between 2005 and 2015
($0.5 billion per year on average). Diaspora tourism is mainly driven by the need to reconnect with
ancestral homelands, nostalgia, and solidarity with the country of origin. The most classical segment
31%
36%
17%
8%
5%4% Arab countries
European countries
American countries
Asian countries
African countries
Oceania countries
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 10
of diaspora tourism is the Visiting Friends and Relatives type of tourism, or VFR tourism.
Additionally, the Lebanese diaspora is interested in cultural and religious tourism.
II.3.2 DOMESTIC MARKET
Domestic tourism can be described as tourism involving residents1 of one country traveling within
their own country. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a
person must be away from their usual place of residence for at least one night to qualify as a
domestic tourist. In the case of Lebanon, the Lebanese community and foreigners who reside in the
country have been showing a growing interest for domestic tourism since 2010. This trend is
primarily related to the evolution of the nature-based and rural tourism market and the increasing
number of tourism service providers and activities in rural areas.
The WTTC defines domestic travel and tourism spending as “spending within a country by that
country's residents for both business and leisure trips.” Domestic tourism spending is, overall, much
lower than visitor exports, and also fluctuates much less than international tourist spending from
year to year, due to the resilience of domestic tourism ahead of crises. According to the WTTC,
domestic travel spending generated 10.3% of the direct travel and tourism GDP and amounted to $1
billion in 2019. Other than this general estimation for domestic tourism spending, there are no
official statistics for this market in Lebanon. Most of the domestic tourism happens in rural areas
where the majority of tourism services and activities are not governed by a specific legal framework
and belong to the informal economy. However, field observations during the last decade and a few
publications have shown that nature-based tourism (including ecotourism and adventure tourism),
cultural tourism, village-based tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy tourism, and religious tourism are
the main types of domestic tourism market.
On the other hand, the recent financial crisis pertaining to the devaluation of the Lebanese currency
and the COVID-19 pandemic boosted domestic tourism in Lebanon, particularly since the majority
of Lebanese were not able to travel abroad in 2020. A study conducted in June 2020 by researchers
from the Lebanese University – Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management analyzed the
Lebanese domestic tourism market dynamics from a demand perspective in light of the economic
crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that 78% of survey respondents traveled
abroad in the period 2018-2019, compared to 52% who are considering traveling abroad in the
period 2020-2021. On the domestic market level, 70% of respondents showed interest in traveling
inside Lebanon in the period 2020-2021. Over three quarters of the respondents (76%) prefer to go
on tourism trips inside Lebanon with their friends, families and relatives. The ideal group size is
between two and five people per trip. The most preferred source of information about the
destination and the services offered on the domestic market are social media and other internet
platforms, followed by word-of-mouth.
Despite the tremendous importance of social media, the majority of domestic tourists (80%) prefer
to book their stays/activities via phone calls. These results shed light on the importance of the
Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) for tourism marketing and destination promotion. Moreover,
they show how important it is for tourism service providers to have a professional and attractive
presence on social media. According to respondents, the top three destinations by Caza were the
Shouf followed by Batroun and Akkar. This could be explained by the fact that these areas represent
a convenient place to practice the top three activities selected by respondents: hiking, sightseeing,
and camping. Furthermore, the push factors (elements that encourage people to take a trip) showed
that the majority of respondents seek to enjoy nature, explore and relax. The pull factors (elements
1 In addition to the original residents of a country, people who move to another country and intend to stay there for more than one year are immediately
considered to be residents of that country.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 11
that attract travelers to a particular destination) are nature, biodiversity, landscape, and sceneries.
Both pull and push factors and the activities are consistent with the choice of these regions.
Concerning the willingness to pay for various tourism services and activities, the results showed that
for a one-day organized tour (including transportation, meals, and activities), there are two major
clusters of respondents for the minimum and maximum willingness to pay, with 36% willing to pay a
minimum of 40,000 Lebanese Pounds (LBP) and 43% willing to pay 90,000 LBP per person for a one-
day organized tour. As for a two-day organized tour (including transportation, accommodation,
meals, and activities), 32% are willing to pay a minimum of 100,000 LBP and 40% are willing to pay a
maximum of 150,000 LBP per person. The majority of the respondents who wish to travel on their
own are willing to pay between 20,000 LBP and 35,000 LBP per person for a meal, and between
60,000 LBP and 90,000 LBP per person for one overnight stay. For the latter, guesthouses and
camping sites are the most preferred types of accommodation (Abou Arrage & Ghadban, 2020).
II.3.2 COMPETITIVENESS
“The Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2019”2 published by the World Economic Forum
assigned Lebanon a score of 3.4 competitiveness index, qualifying it as such to rank 12th in the region
and 100th in the world, down four positions since 2017. According to the report, Spain topped the
list of covered countries in the T&T competitiveness index for the third consecutive time with a
score of 5.4, earning its leading position due to its exceptional heritage, remarkable natural and
cultural sites, and comprehensive tourism service infrastructure, among other factors. Furthermore,
Europe, with a total of six nations in the top 10 positions, emerged once again as the region with the
most T&T competitive economies and the highest T&T regional average competitiveness level.
France came in second in the world in the 2019 TTCI with a score of 5.4, followed by Germany
(score: 5.4), Japan (score: 5.4), the United States (score: 5.3), and the United Kingdom (score: 5.2).
On a regional basis, the U.A.E. preserved its leading position across countries in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region in the 2019 TTCI, ranking 33rd in the world with a score of 4.4. The
U.A.E. was followed by Qatar (global rank: 51; score: 4.1), Oman (global rank: 58; score: 4.0),
Bahrain (global rank: 64; score: 3.9), and Egypt (global rank: 65; score: 3.9), among other covered
MENA nations. The TTCI is composed of four sub-indexes, namely the “enabling environment”,
“T&T policy and enabling conditions”, “infrastructure”, and “natural and cultural resources”, taking
into account 14 different pillars and 90 individual indicators. Among the 14 pillars, Lebanon
performed best in the prioritization of travel and tourism (global rank: 51; score: 5.0), health and
gastronomy tourism and wine tourism. Despite their sustainability objectives, poorly planned and
unmanaged rural and nature-based tourism types can generate negative social, economic and
environmental impacts, as is the case of conventional tourism.
3 Cultural tourism types can be classified under both markets, conventional or alternative, depending on the scale of services and activities they offer, the
sustainability practices, and the level of specialization.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 15
According to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) 2014 rural tourism value
chain assessment report, “the precise share of rural tourism in the total tourism sector in Lebanon is
unknown.” In their study on the rural tourism market in Lebanon, Ghadban et al. (2017) studied the
perception and behavior of potential rural tourists on the domestic market. Personal characteristics,
especially respondents’ personal income and cultural background, have been identified as major factors
that affect their decision-making process regarding rural tourism services and facilities. Results also
revealed a lack of awareness by the surveyed respondents about critical sustainable tourism issues in
rural areas, and visitor perception that is somewhat different from what is actually being provided by
tourism stakeholders in rural areas.
In addition to rural and nature-based tourism, new alternative tourism types are starting to emerge in
Lebanon, including solidarity tourism, volunteerism, creative tourism (also known as creatourism), and
dark tourism. The country has great potential for these niche markets, yet they are still underexplored
and underdeveloped.
III.2 LEBANON’S RURAL AND NATURAL LANDSCAPE
Lebanon’s rural areas represent a large portion of the total land area but a decreasing percentage of the
population (11.2% of the total population in 2019 according to the World Bank). Rural exodus is a well-
studied phenomenon in Lebanon. The search for improved economic opportunities has pushed many
people, particularly youths, to migrate and settle in urban zones (USAID, 2014). The Lebanese rural
landscape is a combination of natural ecosystems and cultural heritage, characterized by a rich and
diverse mosaic of ecosystems with high, arid uninhabited mountains (1,800 meters to 3,000 meters
above sea level); inhabited middle mountain and mild hills villages (500 meters to 1,800 meters) with
terraced agricultural lands on the slopes and in the valleys cultivated with perennial crops, olive trees
and fruit trees; and wide agricultural plains in the hinterland (Beqaa Valley at an altitude of 900 meters)
cultivated with vineyards, industrial crops, and vegetables.
Cultural heritage: Lebanon has a plethora of cultural attractions boasting five UNESCO World
Heritage sites and 10 sites on the UNESCO tentative list. It also has over 500 other cultural, religious,
historical and archeological sites spread all over the country and representing all of the civilizations that
have passed through Lebanon from ancient history until modern times, in addition to the traditional
architecture like the stone houses and red-tiled roofs in Mount Lebanon, the mud-brick houses in the
Beqaa Valley, and black stone houses in Akkar. Moreover, Lebanon offers rich, intangible heritage
traditions and history such as its cuisine, art, and craft-making. Among those and listed on the UNESCO
list is the “Al Zajal” (or recited and sung poetry) and one ongoing nomination, the Arabic calligraphy.
UNESCO Heritage Sites in Lebanon Designated World Heritage Sites: The five UNESCO world heritage sites are the Anjar Ummayad site, the
Baalbeck Roman temples and fortress, the Byblos fortress and archeological site, the Tyre Roman ruins, and the
Qadisha Valley and the Cedars of God.
Tentative list: The UNESCO tentative list includes the sites that Lebanon intends to nominate for the World
Heritage Sites list, and they include the Batroun old town, the Sidon old town, the Echmoun temple near Sidon,
the historical monument of the Menjez village in Akkar, Sacred Mount Hermon and its associated cultural
monuments in Rachaya, the Nahr El Kalb archeological site on the Kesrouane coast, the Mount Amel castles in
Nabatieh and Tyre (Chakif Arnoun, the Tebnine fortress, the Dubbeih fortress, Deir Kifa, and Burj El Naqoura),
the Tripoli old town, the Rachid Karameh International Exhibition Fair in Tripoli, and the Anfeh promontories on
the Koura coast (Ras El Qalaa, Ras El Natour, Ras El Mlelih).
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Natural heritage: Lebanon is known for its distinguished landscape, diverse ecosystems and rich
biodiversity with over 200 endemic species. The country offers a wide variety of natural sites including
forests, rivers, mountainous areas, sandy and rocky beaches, agricultural terraces with a wide variety of
products and seasons, hills and fertile plains. Despite being threatened by environmental degradation and
pollution, especially on coastal areas4 and rivers5, many natural sites still preserve their integrity,
specifically nature reserves, protected forests, and preserved natural sites and monuments. The Jeita
Grotto is among the most famous natural touristic sites in Lebanon, and it was visited by nearly 222,000
individuals in 2017.
Museums: The rich cultural and natural heritage of Lebanon is also represented in 95 museums spread
all over the country (12 in Beirut, 52 in Mount Lebanon, 15 in North Lebanon and Akkar, 10 in South
Lebanon and Nabatieh, and 9 in the Beqaa). The Beirut National Museum is the most visited museum in
Lebanon. The remaining museums are linked to specific touristic sites and showcase the local cultural
heritage, traditions, art and natural history, with the majority being privately owned. An exhaustive list
of museums can be found on https://www.bamleb.com/museums.
Strongly affected by land management plans, Lebanon’s rural and natural landscape is facing many
challenges. Rural-urban economic disparities and unsustainable land management practices contribute to
the erosion of the country’s natural and cultural values. Landscape degradation problems pertain to
most of the coastal areas and a significant number of mountain areas. Failure in planning and
management are further aggravated by political marginalization that has left rural communities in
Lebanon in need of social and economic development.
From an environmental perspective, Lebanon’s rural landscape has been threatened by a multitude of
factors that have caused loss of biodiversity, fragmentation or destruction of habitats, and different
forms of pollution. Human activities have caused pollution through urban sprawl, land encroachment,
industrialization, improper management, and discharge of wastewater and solid waste. Among these
human activities, uncontrolled tourism and infrastructure development constitute an increasing pressure
on and threat to natural and cultural resources of rural areas.
In response to the natural landscape’s degradation, between 1992 and 2016 the Ministry of Environment,
the Ministry of Agriculture, the MOT, and several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and
municipalities designated a number of Protected Areas. By the beginning of 2021, the existing
classification of Protected Areas in Lebanon included 18 Nature Reserves designated by law, three
UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserves, 24 Natural Sites designated by ministerial decrees and
decisions, 18 Hima6, 12 Protected Forests, and 14 Touristic Sites. A multitude of other rural landscapes
and natural landmarks (forests, valleys, river basins, mountain peaks, caves, specific geological landforms,
etc.) remain without any form of protection, and are facing many challenges. Most of these sites
4 Lebanon has access to 225 kilometers of Mediterranean coastline beaches, hence the large majority of these beaches are urbanized and occupied by resorts,
limiting free access to the sea. The only remaining public beaches exist in Naqoura, Tyre, Beirut, Byblos, Amchit, Batroun, and Chekka. Water-based activities in the
sea are not well developed and organized; the main activity practiced is diving. 5 There are 14 major rivers in Lebanon. Touristic activities along rivers are limited seasonal restaurants and camping in the wild. River sports activities exist only in
the Assi river in Hermel where rafting is practiced and in the Litani river in South Lebanon where kayaking is practiced. 6 Hima means protected area in Arabic; according to the Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon (SPNL), a Lebanese NGO specialized in nature
conservation, the Hima is a community-based approach used for the conservation of sites, species, habitats, and people in order to achieve the sustainable use of
natural resources. It originated more than 1,500 years ago where it was spread along the Arab Peninsula as a “tribal” system of sustainable management of natural
resources. It was applied as a system for organizing, maintaining, regulating, and utilizing natural pasture and rangelands in a way fitting with ecosystems and local
practices. It evolved with Islam, adding to it values and rules. Hima management and decisions are made by the local communities themselves. SPNL is reviving the
Hima approach in collaboration with municipalities in order to promote the conservation of Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and conserve the sustainable use of natural
resources, among which ecotourism activities are introduced to the Hima.
Lebanese travel agents and tour operators: The difference between travel agents and tour
operators in Lebanon is blurred. The legal framework and registration system at the MOT do not
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differentiate between travel agents and tour operators according to the international definition7. Based
on the decree number 4216 issued in 1972 and modified by the decree number 9398 issued in 2012,
there are five categories of travel and tourism agencies in Lebanon (Table 1).
TABLE 1: TRAVEL AND TOURISM AGENCIES OFFICIAL CATEGORIES IN LEBANON
CATEGORY NUMBER OF SERVICE PROVIDERS SERVICES
1: Travel Agent
≈ 220 (among which
nearly 160 are members of the Association of Travel
and Tourist Agents in Lebanon (ATTAL),
www.attal.org.lb)
• Selling travel tickets or issuing bonds in their place, as well as organizing individual or group tourism trips from Lebanon to abroad and vice versa, according to specific programs in which all services and works related to
accommodation, site visits, transfers and other required services.
• Issuing bonds or selling travel tickets to organize internal or external tourist trips by land by means of transport owned by the agency or by land transport
companies operating in the country regularly for specific tourism programs.
• Renting tourist cars for foreign tourists, vacationers, or Lebanese expatriates
without a driver to visit tourist and archaeological sites in Lebanon or in neighboring Arab countries or in other countries.
• Providing event services by renting cars with a driver for each car, provided that the rental period is on an hourly basis and does not exceed twenty-four hours.
• Renting motorcycles, four-wheel-drive ATV and UTV vehicles to visit natural,
tourist, and archaeological sites in Lebanon within the permitted routes for this type of vehicle.
2: Tourism transport
agencies 10
• Issuing bonds or selling travel tickets to organize internal or external tourist trips by land by means of transport owned by the agency or by land transport companies operating in the country regularly for specific tourism programs.
3: Tourist car rental agencies
45 • Renting tourist cars for foreign tourists, vacationers, or Lebanese expatriates
without a driver to visit tourist and archaeological sites in Lebanon or in
neighboring Arab countries or in other countries.
4: Event car rental
agencies N/A
• Providing event services by renting cars with a driver for each car, provided that the rental period is on an hourly basis and does not exceed twenty-four hours.
5: Rental agencies for motorcycles, ATV, UTV
N/A • Renting motorcycles, four-wheel-drive ATV and UTV vehicles to visit natural,
tourist, and archaeological sites in Lebanon within the permitted routes for this
type of vehicle.
Source: Ministry of Tourism
The vast majority of Lebanese travel and tourism agents (95%) work on outbound tourism, offering
mainly airline reservations and ticketing, hotel bookings, transfer and car rental bookings, and holiday
packages outside Lebanon. Only around 25 Lebanese travel and tourism agents work in inbound tourism
and have the capacity to operate as travel agents and tour operators at the same time. The latter focus
on conventional tourism; they sell holiday packages for international tour operators and organize tours
in Lebanon covering the main touristic sites like Baalbeck, Byblos, Beiteddine, Jeita Grotto, Harissa, the
Bcharreh Cedars and Qadisha Valley, and sites in Beirut. Very few travel and tourism agents (less than
10), promote packages for medical tourism, skiing, rural and nature-based tourism including trips to
nature reserves and wine tourism. In terms of size and number of employees, 90% of the travel agencies
are small family businesses with three to five employees. Around 5% are considered medium enterprises
and are also family businesses with five to 10 employees. The remainder 5% are considered large
enterprises with an average of 20 employees per business. In total, travel agencies employ around 2,500
individuals.
Lebanese travel agents and tour operators working on inbound tourism
Nakhal, Saad Tours, Wild Discovery, Mirakel Travel, Kurban Travel, Barakat Travel, Azzi Holidays, Al Awael Travel & Tours,
Eagle Travel, Five Stars Tours, Sun Holiday Tours, Blue Ocean Creations, Show Me Lebanon, Fardayso, Lebanon Roots, Younes
Travel, Vent Nouveau, Vladimir Travel, Worldwide Travel & Tourism.
Specialized tour operators: In addition to the conventional travel agents and tour operators, there
are 12 specialized Lebanese tour operators focusing on rural and nature-based tourism for the domestic
7 Tour operators generate ideas for holidays, research the ideas, design the holiday itinerary and content, contract the services needed for the holiday, the
accommodation, transport, guides, tour leaders and then market and sell the package either directly to the consumer or using the services of travel agents to do so.
Travel agents do not, in theory, put together any of their own holiday packages; they sell many different packages produced by different tour operators.
Tourleb, Wanderleb, Living Lebanon, Taste Lebanon, Le Passeport Culinaire.
Informal clubs and tour organizers: A new trend emerged in Lebanon in the post-war period with
the creation of clubs – some are officially registered as outdoor sport clubs at the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, and others are informal – and informal tour organizers who provide rural and nature-based
tourism services and activities, and organize mainly one-day or weekend tours to rural areas and natural
sites. Their number increased from around 15 in 2010 to more than 80 in 2020. These “service
providers” are operated by their owners or members for the clubs and do not have employees. They
use social media platforms to promote their activities and focus on the domestic market.
Online Travel Agencies (OTAs): In the last two decades, travel organization and booking have
shifted to OTAs. This trend is related to behavioral changes among different generations, specifically
Generation X and Millennials, who became initial advocates of the dynamic and flexible packaging model
that rapidly undermined conventional travel agents’ and tour operators’ rigid packaging model. The
presence of Lebanon’s tourism industry on OTAs is focused on accommodation services. Most of the
Lebanese hotels are present on the major OTAs such as Booking and Expedia, in addition to homestays
and guesthouses featured on Airbnb. In terms of packages and tours, Lebanon has a limited presence on
OTAs. TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel sites, shows 40 tours and excursions for Lebanon
compared to nearly 150 excursions and tours for Amman in Jordan alone. Moreover, by the end of
2020, 124,000 reviews and opinions for tours and excursions in Lebanon were featured on TripAdvisor,
compared to 343,000 reviews and opinions for Jordan, and 1,073,000 for Cyprus. Lebanon is not
present on Airbnb experiences, whereas there are 28 experiences offered in Jordan.
Lebanese OTAs and key digital platforms L’Hôte Libanais Online booking for a network of guesthouses and boutique hotels www.hotelibanais.com
Byout Beirut Online booking for a network of furnished apartments and chalets byout.bookeddirectly.com
Cheez Hospitality Online booking for a network of guesthouses and boutique hotels www.cheezhospitality.com
Ajar Online platform promoting Lebanese heritage and hospitality www.ajar.casa
Karya Phone app for experiences booking www.karyaleb.com
Daskra Phone app featuring Lebanon’s cultural and natural sites www.daskaraapp.com
Lebtivity Website for events’ calendar including rural and nature-based tours www.lebtivity.com Skileb Online booking for skiing holiday www.skileb.com
GoSawa Online sales and booking including chalets, hotels and bungalows www.gosawa.com
Makhsoom Online sales and booking for chalets, hotels, bungalows and camping www.makhsoom.com
III.4.2 TRANSPORTATION
Air transport: Lebanon has poor air transport infrastructure; among the three existing airports, only
one is economically active, the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport (BRHIA). The BRHIA connects
Lebanon to over 60 international destinations with direct flights through 45 major international airline
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companies8, including the national carrier Middle East Airlines9 (MEA). BRHIA is the main passenger port
of entry for travelers and tourists with an annual capacity of 6 million passengers. Between 2011 and
2018, the number of annual passengers registered a positive growth at a CAGR of 6.7%. It increased
from 5.6 million in 2011 to 8.8 million in 2018, thus exceeding the airport capacity by 46%, which
affected the quality of services, especially due to overcrowding. In 2019 the number of BRHIA
passengers decreased by 5% compared to 2018. In 2020, the number of passengers registered a sharp
decrease, dropping in the first 11 months of 2020 to 2.2 million passengers compared to 8.1 million
passengers during the same period in 2019. Total arrivals alone dropped by an annual 74.5% to reach 1
million by November 2020. By the same token, departures slumped by 71.3% year-on-year to reach 1.17
million passengers for the same period.
Sea transport: Lebanon has three major commercial seaports (Beirut, Tripoli and Sidon), 20 fishing
ports, among which 6 are used for recreational activities at the same time, and more than 10 private
marinas used for recreational activities. Before its destruction in the August 4, 2020, explosion, the
Beirut seaport was the only one receiving a limited number of cruise ships. The Tripoli seaport has a
passenger ship line connecting Lebanon to the Izmir seaport in Turkey. Only two fishing/recreational
seaports, Byblos and Tyre, offer daily boat trips for tourists. The private marinas are used for private
yachts and boats owned mainly by wealthy Lebanese.
Land transport: Land transportation for tourism in Lebanon involves bus and minibus rentals, taxi
services, and car rental agencies. There are approximately 10 large companies that operate buses and
minibuses, around 45 car rental companies for self-driving, and over 150 taxi companies, in addition to
individual bus, mini-bus and taxi owners who provide services for the tourism industry. Large land
transport companies often work with other travel agents and tour operators to provide the transport
component of a package tour for the inbound and domestic market. Few travel agents own their own
bus fleets such as Saad Holding. In addition to motorized vehicles transportation, cycling is on the rise in
Lebanon. In the last five years, local and national initiatives emerged to promote cycling as a means of
commuting as well as a recreational activity. Beirut by Bike (with a central branch in the capital and city
branches in Tyre, Sidon and Byblos), the PolyLiban Association (ADPL), Cycling Circle, Routes, Vélo
Route, and The Chain Effect are among the most popular initiatives and service providers offering
bicycle rentals, bicycle events, bicycle tours, and bicycle holidays.
Lebanon does not have a decent and well-organized public transportation system; instead, it utilizes an
informal and very poorly organized private transportation system with buses and minibuses linking
Beirut to the main coastal cities and to the Beqaa.
III.4.3 ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation services in Lebanon can be divided into three main categories: 1) conventional
accommodation such as hotels, furnished apartments, and chalets; 2) alternative accommodation, such as
guesthouses and bed and breakfasts, youth hostels, camping sites, forest resorts, bungalows, eco-lodges,
farm stays, and religious lodgings; and 3) Airbnb.
8 Among the 45 airline companies, 36 operate on a permanent basis and nine on a seasonal basis, and seven are low-cost carriers with connections to Cairo, Dubai,
Berlin, Istanbul, Antalya, Jeddah, Amsterdam, Lyon, Paris, and Barcelona. 9 MEA is one of the problem areas in the tourism sector. Many tourism professionals consider that MEA generated high profits at the expense of affordability of
access to Lebanon as a competitive destination.
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Hotels: Lebanon has 406 hotels with a capacity of approximately 22,000 rooms. The total number is
very low compared to other touristic countries in the MENA region, making the country more adapted
to niche tourism. The hotels network is characterized by uneven distribution across regions: 79% of
hotels and 83% of hotel rooms are located in Beirut (9,000 rooms) and Mount Lebanon (10,000 rooms).
At the district level, Kesrouane is ranked second after Beirut in terms of total number of hotels. If
counted separately from North Lebanon, Akkar has the lowest number of hotels, followed by South
Lebanon and Nabatieh (Table 2). Most hotels are under 100 rooms in size, with the larger,
internationally branded ones being in Beirut. Moreover, hotels do not cater for all customer segments
across regions, with three and four-star categories being the predominant ones. The majority of five-star
hotels are located in Beirut (57%) and Mount Lebanon (36%), and only three five-star hotels can be
found outside Beirut and Mount Lebanon.
TABLE 2: HOTELS DISTRIBUTION PER REGION AND PER CATEGORY IN LEBANON10
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alternative accommodation very difficult. On the other hand, an important number of alternative
accommodation facilities are listed on online booking platforms, such as Booking and Airbnb.
Airbnb: According to the Airbnb and AirDNA websites (the former is the analytics platform for Airbnb
facilities around the world), there are 3,964 Airbnb offerings in Lebanon, with a total of nearly 17,665
beds. Similar to hotels, the majority of Airbnb locations (80.4%) are in Beirut and Mount Lebanon (Table
3).
TABLE 3: AIRBNB DISTRIBUTION PER REGION IN LEBANON (AD OF JANUARY 2021) Region (district) Number of facilities % Average number of beds per facility Estimated number of beds
Beirut 1,150 29.0% 3.8 4,370
Kesrouane 717 18.1% 4.9 3,514
Matn 700 17.7% 5.0 3,500
Byblos 251 6.3% 4.6 1,155
Batroun 159 4.0% 5.2 826
South Lebanon (Jezzine, Tyre, Sidon) 150 3.8% 4.0 600
Baabda 141 3.6% 4.0 564
Shouf 133 3.4% 5.0 665
Zgharta 132 3.3% 4.0 528
Bcharreh 105 2.6% 4.0 420
Aley 92 2.3% 5.5 506
Zahle 51 1.3% 5.0 255
Koura 43 1.1% 4.0 172
Tripoli 40 1.0% 4.5 180
Nabatieh (Incl. Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil) 37 0.9% 4.0 148
Akkar 24 0.6% 4.0 96
West Beqaa and Rachaya 22 0.6% 4.0 88
Baalbeck-Hermel 17 0.4% 4.0 68
Total 3,964 100% 4.4 17,665 Source: www.airbnb.com; www.airdna.co
There is no published data on the occupancy rate of Airbnb facilities in Lebanon. This information is
available on AirDNA upon paid membership.
III.4.4 FOOD AND BEVERAGE
F&B is the most important sub-sector in tourism, as it is the largest employer and consumer of Lebanese
agricultural and food products. There are nearly 8,000 restaurants and cafes (5,500 open all year round
and 2,500 are seasonal ones that open in the summer). Labor is estimated at 125,000 workers in the
sector. The boom of the restaurant business between 2004 and 2010 has slowed down since 2011 due
to the multiple crises Lebanon is facing.
The BLOM-Invest bank report, “Uncovering the Lebanese Restaurant Industry”, explains that the
restaurants that chose to hastily enter the business during the economic boom soon felt the pressure of
harsher conditions and had no choice but to lock up and leave. Those who survived are 1) the ones with
a loyal, established niche clientele and sufficient cash flow to continue operating under tough conditions,
most likely in the medium to high-end segments; 2) the ones offering an authentic experience with
which the consumers have grown familiar and which entails a reasonable price tag; and 3) the ones
maintaining the best mix of consistency and affordability over the years.
The high-end segment was the most affected by the slowdown in the F&B sector between 2011 and
2019. The recent financial crisis, the currency devaluation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut Port
explosion in August 2020, have put the entire F&B industry in Lebanon at risk.
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Ecotourism resources and attractions in Lebanon
Based on the international definitions and principles of ecotourism, especially with regards to
conservation and education, the main resources for this type of tourism in Lebanon are the different
categories of protected areas. By the end of 2020 the existing classification of protected areas in
Lebanon included:
National recognition
• 18 nature reserves designated by law and supervised by the Ministry of Environment
• 21 protected natural sites and 8 river basins designated by a decision of the Ministry of Environment
• 15 protected forests designated by a decision of the Ministry of Agriculture
• 14 protected touristic sites designated by a decision of the MOT, covering cultural heritage,
archeological, and historical monuments (Annex.3 Protected touristic sites)
• 25 Hima designated by municipal decisions and supported by a national NGO
• Over 10 private natural sites and forests protected by their owners and/or NGOs
International recognition
• 3 biosphere reserves nominated by the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme14
• 15 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) nominated by BirdLife International
• 4 Wetlands of International Importance (WIIs) nominated under the Ramsar Convention15
In addition to the different categories of protected areas, nearly 40 other natural landscapes and sites
(specifically geo-sites and forests) remain without any form of protection and are facing many
environmental threats (Annex 4. Natural sites in need of protection).
The existence of many protected areas and natural sites in Lebanon does not necessarily mean that they
can be automatically considered ecotourism attractions. In fact, an ecotourism attraction needs to be
well protected, accessible, managed, and needs to offer services and activities with educational and
awareness components for its visitors. Most importantly, monitoring human activities and limiting the
negative impact of visitors on biodiversity and ecosystems should be ensured in ecotourism attractions
according to the ecotourism principles.
Nature reserves
Among the 18 nature reserves of Lebanon, only three are coastal/marine reserves and 15 are located in
mountainous and forested areas (Figure 10). These nature reserves constitute around 3% of the total
surface area of Lebanon (excluding their buffer zones). Despite their small territory, they represent a
multitude of ecosystems distinguished by their different micro-climates that enable them to host a very
important number of endemic, threatened, and emblematic species of both fauna and flora (Table 6).
14 The three UNESCO Biosphere Reserves have the nature reserve and protected natural site/forest national designations, and they include the Shouf Biosphere
Reserve, the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve, and the Jabal El Rihane Biosphere Reserve. The latter [which one?] is not active in the field of ecotourism. 15 The Convention on Wetlands is the oldest of the modern global intergovernmental environmental agreements. The treaty was negotiated through the 1960s by
countries and non-governmental organizations concerned about the increasing loss and degradation of wetland habitat for migratory water birds. It was adopted in
the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975. The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and
national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world.”
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FIGURE 10: NATURE RESERVES GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION IN LEBANON
Source: Combined by author based on data available on www.moe.gov.lb
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Many institutions form a fundamental part in nature reserve management in Lebanon, since each has a
different role and level of responsibility. Organizations that are primarily in charge of the direct
management of the site, comprising the preparation and the approval of the general management plan
and other specific plans (including ecotourism plans), are:
• The Ministry of Environment, in charge of supervision and endorsement of the management plans
• The Appointed Protected Area Committee (APAC), which is appointed through a decision from the
Minister of Environment to ensure the overall management of the reserve under the supervision of
the Ministry of Environment. This committee is comprised of volunteer members representing
neighboring municipalities, the district governor or Ca’imacam, local NGOs, and other ministries
including:
- The Ministry of Finance (MoF), which has legal ownership of the public lands over which nature
reserves are created, according to Lebanese law
- The Ministry of Agriculture in the case of the existence of farmers or fishermen operating in the
reserves’ buffer zone
- The Ministry of Public Works and Transport in the case of coastal and marine reserves
- The Ministry of Culture and the Directorate General of Antiquities in the case of the existence
of archeological sites inside the reserve
- The Ministry of Energy and Water in the case of the existence of rivers and water springs.
The APAC appoints a manager and a management team for the reserve, and in some cases the
management is operated by a local NGO, as is the case with the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, or in
coordination with a municipality, as is the case with the Tyre Coast Nature Reserve (TCNR). The
Municipality of Tyre manages the touristic zone of the reserve based on a yearly agreement with the
TCNR committee and the approval of the Minister of Environment.
Nature reserves in Lebanon are usually divided into three zones:
1. A core area or conservation zone with limited to no human activities, with the access to this area
limited to scientific research and ecosystem/biodiversity monitoring
2. A transition zone, where controlled human activities such as ecotourism are allowed but without any
infrastructure installation
3. A buffer zone, where more human activities are allowed, including ecotourism and controlled access
for the local communities to use and/or extract some resources such as farming and harvesting wild
herbs, with the adoption and respect of sustainability practices. Reserve entrances and gate facilities
are usually installed within the buffer zone. In the case of biosphere reserves, a fourth zone is added,
called the development zone, and it covers the surrounding villages of the reserve where local
communities live and practice rural activities.
Seven of the 18 nature reserves in Lebanon have a general management plan and only four have an
ecotourism management plan, in addition to one biosphere reserve, the Jabal Moussa Biosphere
Reserve16. The existence of an ecotourism management plan allows the reserve managers to control and
16 Despite being a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve is not considered a nature reserve in Lebanon. The site is protected by
decisions from the Ministry of Environment as a protected natural site and the Ministry of Agriculture as a protected forest.
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monitor visitors and to account for the number of visits17 (Figure 11), as well as other ecotourism
indicators inside the nature reserve and in its surrounding area.
FIGURE 11: NUMBER OF VISITS TO MAJOR NATURE RESERVES IN LEBANON (2016-2020)
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
*2020 figures for Tannourine Reserve are for the first 6 months of the year
The total number of visits to the five nature reserves in the above table that have an access control
system increased from 130,188 in 2016 to 192,701 in 2019 (a 48% increase). Until 2019, the Shouf
Biosphere Reserve remained the main attraction among the five. It holds the highest number of visitors
(61%) due to its large size, advanced management and promotion, availability of services and activities
inside the reserve and in its surrounding villages, and accessibility.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic and consequential lockdowns of 2020 had a very negative impact on
the number of visits to the reserves, with the Shouf Biosphere Reserve registering a 59.3% decrease
compared to 2019, the Bentael Reserve a 47% decrease, and the Tannourine Reserve a 45% decrease in
the first six months of 2020. The pandemic had a slightly negative impact on the Ehden Reserve with a
10% decrease, whereas in Jabal Moussa, the number of visits increased by 35% in 2020 compared to
2019. These variations in the impact of COVID-19 on the number of visitors can be related to the
following factors:
• The Shouf Reserve lost a major market segment represented by large groups of organized
school/student visits.
• Despite its proximity to Beirut and strategic location, being 7 kilometers away from Byblos, the
Bentael Reserve suffered from a lack of school/student visits and the absence of a solid ecotourism
promotion and communications plan.
17 The number of visits is not necessarily equal to the number of visitors. The same person can visit a nature reserve or any other natural/touristic site several times
per year; in this case he/she is considered a repeater.
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• The Tannourine Reserve suffered from the absence of a solid ecotourism promotion plan and
professional communications material, in addition to the deterioration of road infrastructure leading
to the reserve over the last few years.
• The Ehden Reserve was able to maintain the number of visits due to the increasing number of
people who moved to live permanently in their villages in Zgharta during 2020, and who benefited
from their proximity to the nature reserve to visit, even to experience it for the first time,
according to the Reserve manager.
• The Jabal Moussa Reserve was the only one to register a positive growth in the number of visits due
to its proximity to the main source market for domestic ecotourism in Lebanon – Beirut,
Kesrouane and Matn – and the need for the aforementioned areas’ residents to experience a quick
escape to nature. The growth is also due to the diversification of trail offers in the last three years.
This increase in the number of visitors constituted a challenge for the reserve managers in terms of
properly monitoring visitors’ impact and providing them with hiking guides if needed. The
overcrowding at one of the most famous entrances of the reserve in Chouane, especially in
springtime, pushed the management to limit the access to the site to pre-online reservation using
Google forms.
Bentael and Jabal Moussa are the only nature reserves where visitors’ data is segregated by age. On
average, the last five years in Bentael show that the category of visitors aged below 18 constitutes the
highest number of visitors (64 %), followed by 22% for ages between 18 and 35, 12% for ages between
36 and 55, and only 2% for those over 55 years old. These figures are justified by the premise that
Bentael Reserve is a destination for organized school groups as well as for families and their children
because of the presence of a child-friendly nature park at the entrance. In Jabal Moussa, age segregation
is carried out for only two categories: below 16 years old (20% of the visitors, mainly school students in
organized groups) and above 16 years old (80% of the visitors). None of the reserves segregate visitors
by nationality. Thus, nature reserve managers consider that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, around
90% of the visitors were from the domestic market and 10% were international tourists.
As a matter of fact, in 98% of the visitors in 2020 were from the domestic market. In terms of
seasonality, four nature reserves tally the number of visits per month. The seasonality pattern observed
in these four reserves is presented in Table 7, taking into consideration the average number of visits per
month for the period 2016-2020.
TABLE 7: NUMBER OF VISITS AND SEASONALITY (AVERAGE OF 2016-2020)
Reserve
Percentage of visits in
the high season
April to September
Percentage of visits in
the low season
October to March
Top three
months of
visitation
Top month of
visitation
Percentage of
visits during top
month
Month with
lowest number
of visits
Shouf Biosphere 70% 30% July, August
September August 18% December
Jabal Moussa
Biosphere 79% 21%
June, July
September July 18% January
Tannourine 82% 18% July, August
September August 21% January
Bentael 72% 28% May, June
August May 23% January
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
The above table shows that seasonality patterns are primarily related to weather conditions. Reserves
located at a high elevation range such as Tannourine and the Shouf receive their highest number of
visitors in the summer season, specifically in the month of August. The Jabal Moussa Reserve located
between middle and high mountains receives its highest number of visitors in June, July and September,
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 45
whereas the Bentael Reserve, which is located at a lower altitude, receives the highest number of
visitors in the month of May. December and January have the lowest number of visitors in all the
reserves. Table 8 and Table 9 show the available infrastructures, services, activities and projects available
in the major nature reserves in Lebanon that welcome visitors regardless as to whether they have a
general management plan or an ecotourism plan18.
18 Detailed information on some reserves can be found on their websites: www.shoufcedar.org; www.horshehden.com [page nonexistent]; www.arztannourine.org
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
*Equipment for activity available for rent and/or sale at the facility gate
19
Despite the inexistence of access control to the Palm Islands by the reserve management, there is a Lebanese Army security checkpoint in the Tripoli Port for any fishing or recreational boat sailing
towards the islands.
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TABLE 9: LEBANON’S NATURE RESERVES DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION
Source: Combined by author, figures provided by nature reserves managers
* Equipment for activity available for rent and/or sale at the facility gate
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Based on the data collected from the reserves’ managers and previous field observations, the following
can be concluded:
• The Shouf Biosphere Reserve is the most advanced in terms of management, availability of services
and activities, and the capacity to implement ecotourism projects as well as other rural and
conservation projects. With its strong network of partners and in close collaboration with local
communities, the reserve is acting as an informal Destination Management Organization (DMO)
covering not only the eight neighboring villages in the Shouf, but the entire upper area and mountain
villages of the Shouf, in addition to some villages in the Beqaa like Aammiq, Qab Elias, Aitanit,
Kefraya and Ain Zebdeh.
• The Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve accomplished great achievements in the last five years and has
positioned itself as a pioneer destination for ecotourism. The reserve team is focusing on the seven
villages in the reserve’s buffer zone.
• The Horsh Ehden, Tannourine and Bentael Reserves are making slow progress but have great
potential to better develop and promote ecotourism, as well to contribute to local socio-economic
development in the surrounding villages.
Protected natural sites and river basins
The 21 protected natural sites and eight river basins designated by decisions of the Ministry of
Environment are all destinations for nature-based tourism activities, particularly hiking, camping, and
sightseeing (Table10). The majority cannot be considered as ecotourism destinations due to one or
many of the following reasons:
• Absence of management organizations, management plans, and ecotourism plans
• Absence of access control and visitors’ impact monitoring
• Inexistence of organized services and activities
• Inexistence of environmental education and awareness activities
• Existence of large-scale infrastructures and mass tourism in some of the sites
• Limited participation and involvement of local communities in the management of the site
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TABLE 10: LEBANON’S PROTECTED NATURAL SITES AND RIVER BASINS
Site Main features Mohafazat Caza Decision no. Year
Al Qammoua area Mountain plateau, conifers forest Akkar - 19 2002
Al Makmel Mountain and Black Peak
(Qornet El Sawda)
Summit/peak, highland, rangeland plateau, water reservoir, snow cover, geological
features North Lebanon
Donnieh
Bcharreh 187 1998
Qadisha Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site (cultural category), river, Maronite religious heritage with historical and old monasteries and shrines, dense mixed forests, agricultural
terraces
North Lebanon Zgharta Bcharreh
151 1997
Al Qaraqir Valley River basin, mixed dense forest, agricultural terraces North Lebanon Zgharta 21 2002
Baatara Gorge in Chatine Geo-site, waterfall, sinkhole North Lebanon Batroun 8 2004
Ehmej natural site Forest, geological landforms Mount Lebanon Byblos 2878 2016
Coastal front rocks of Wata Slam Coastal ecosystem, geological feature Mount Lebanon Kesrouane 200 1997
Jabal Moussa Mixed forest, cultural heritage, UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and protected forest by the Ministry of Agriculture
Mount Lebanon Kesrouane 7494 2012
Faqra natural stone bridge Geo-site, landmark Mount Lebanon Kesrouane 15/1 1995
Kassarat Grotto, Nabaieh Grotto, geo-site Mount Lebanon Matn 11949 2014
Forests of Ain El Hour – Daraya –
Debbiyeh – Berjein – Sheikh Osman – Deir El Moukhales – Ain w Zein – Dalboun
Valleys of Al Mal and Ainbal Kfara wells
Mediterranean mixed forests, valley and old wells Mount Lebanon Shouf 132 1998
Dalhoun forest Mediterranean mixed forest Mount Lebanon Shouf 22 2002
Rivers
Arka River River basin, cultural heritage Akkar - 188 1998
Al Jawz River River basin, cultural heritage North Lebanon Koura Batroun
22 1998
Ibrahim River River basin, cultural heritage Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Byblos
34 1997
Al Kalb River River basin, cultural heritage Mount Lebanon Kesrouane
Matn 97 1998
Al Damour River River basin Mount Lebanon Shouf 29 1998
Beirut River River basin, IBA Mount Lebanon Matn Baabda
130 1998
Al Awali River River basin South Lebanon Sidon 131 1998
Al Assi River River basin Baalbeck-Hermel Hermel 189 1998
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Table 11 presents the rural and nature based-tourism characteristics of Lebanon’s main protected natural sites and river basins.
TABLE 11: LEBANON’S PROTECTED NATURAL SITES AND RIVER BASINS
Site Main activities Access control
Infrastructure and services in the site and the surrounding area Role of municipalities and local communities
Potential to shift towards ecotourism*
Al Qammoua area
Hiking, camping No LMT sections 1-2, LMT guides and informal local guides Basic accommodation and F&B services with low-average quality of services
Private initiative by local youth groups such as Akkar Trail NGO
Medium
Qadisha valley – UNESCO World
Heritage site
Hiking, pilgrimage and spiritual
retreats
No
LMT sections 6-7, LMT guides and informal local guides Randomly blazed trails Informal and unorganized transportation systems from the villages to the valley
Good number of accommodation and F&B services in the villages with average to good quality of services
Increased awareness for the need to better protect and manage
tourism in the valley
High
Al Makmel
Mountain and Black Peak (Qornet El
Sawda)
Hiking, camping off-road, ski
touring, ski mobile, snowshoeing
No LMT section 8, LMT guides and informal local guides
Al Arz Ski Resort
Conflictual situation between municipalities regarding water resources use
Low
Al Qaraqir Valley Hiking, camping,
canyoning No
Basic accommodation and F&B services with medium to good quality of services
(Can be linked to Ehden Nature Reserve through hiking trail) None Low
Baatara Gorge in Chatine
Hiking, zip-line and ropes activities,
caving, climbing
Yes LMT section 10 and LMT-Douma side trail, LMT guides and informal local guides Poorly designed and unsustainable basic infrastructure
The site is managed by a local
NGO; the municipality is not active. Predominance of mass tourism
Medium
Ehmej natural
site
Hiking, children’s
park, snowshoeing, ski touring
No
LMT-Ehmej side trail, LMT guides and local guides Local network of blazed trails Micro-reserve for endemic species dedicated to research
Good number of accommodation and F&B services in the villages with average to good quality of services; proximity to Baatara Gorge, St. Charbel shrine in Annaya, the Laklouk ski resort and Laklouk plateau with a good number of
resorts and hotels
Increased awareness for the need
to better protect and manage tourism in the valley
High
Faqra natural
stone bridge Hiking, sightseeing Yes
LMT section 12, LMT guides and local guides
Large number of accommodation and F&B services with good-high quality of services Proximity to Mzar ski slopes Climbing and abseiling used to be practiced on and next to the site, but it was
banned by the Municipality of Kfardebiane. It could be revived under strict measures to ensure sustainability and environmental protection
Increased awareness for the need to better protect and manage
tourism in the valley, but predominance of mass tourism
Medium
Al Jawz River Hiking No Ongoing creation of hiking trails network along the riverbanks Limited awareness and knowledge about ecotourism
Medium
Ibrahim River Hiking, camping No
Good number of accommodation and F&B services in the villages with average
to good quality of services Organized and controlled access exists only in Chouane village under the management of Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve
None for municipalities Few private initiatives in Qartaba
Low, except for Chouane site
Al Kalb River None No Kayaking and rafting competitions used to be organized in Nahr El Kalb by clubs and the rafting federation
None Low
Al Assi River Rafting, camping No Basic accommodation and F&B services with low quality of services Formal and informal rafting clubs
None Low
Source: Combined by author, based on key informant interviews and previous field observations and visits to the sites
* The potential to shift towards more sustainable tourism and/or ecotourism is related to the readiness and willingness of municipalities and local communities to adopt and launch this process.
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Protected forests
Lebanon’s protected forests designated by decisions of the Ministry of Agriculture are all destinations
for nature-based tourism activities, particularly hiking and camping (Table12).
TABLE 12: LEBANON’S PROTECTED FORESTS
Forest Trees and other characteristics Mohafazat Caza Decision no. Year
Al Qammoua Cedars, fir, juniper Akkar - 588 1996
Karm Chbat Cedars, fir, juniper Akkar - 589 1996
Bezbina Cedars, fir, juniper, oak Akkar - 591 1996
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Kfar Zabad – Zahle Beqaa Wetland and agricultural lands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
West Baalbeck – Zahle, Beqaa Rangelands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Fekha – West Beqaa, Beqaa Rangelands Low Inexistence of visitors/activities
Source: Combined by author, based on key informant interviews and previous field observations and visits to the sites
* The level of ecotourism development is related to the respect of ecotourism principles by local authorities and visitors.
Despite the existence of 15 IBAs assessed and officially declared by the international NGO BirdLife
International, in addition to several other sites suitable for bird watching, this activity is underexplored
in Lebanon. Even though some nature reserves and Hima claim that they offer bird watching for their
visitors, it is not done in a consistent and professional way. There is a lack of professional guides and
dedicated sites, as well as a lack of equipment and material. On the other hand, the Association for Bird
Conservation in Lebanon (ABCL) and the Lebanon Birdwatching Tours initiative are trying to promote
the activity for environmental awareness and educational purposes.
Private natural sites
Among a dozen of privately protected natural sites and forests, the Domaine de Taanayel20 offers
different types of nature-based tourism activities including hiking, biking, zip-lining, agro-tourism, a
farmers’ market, and many other nature-based and cultural events, noting that the majority of the
services and activities in the Domaine are accessible for people with reduced mobility21. The Domaine is
one of the most visited natural sites in Lebanon due to its large surface area, easy access, its suitability
for all ages and profiles, the high level of safety for families with children, its comprehensive services, a
wide variety of activities adapted to all ages, and a unique agricultural and natural landscape with its
attractive lake. The number of visits to the Domaine increased form 153,916 in 2016 to 183,484 in
2018; however, it registered a significant decrease by 27% in 2019 compared to 2018 due to the political
unrest of the last three months of the year and the road blockages in the Beqaa area. In 2020, the
number of visitors decreased by 50% compared to 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and several
lockdowns, and the subsequent closure of the site for long periods of time.
Geo-tourism is essentially “geological tourism”. The geological element focuses on geology and landscape and includes both
geological formations such as landforms, rock outcrops, rock types, sediments, caves, soils and crystals, and geological
processes such as volcanism, erosion, glaciation, etc. Geo-tourism includes tourist visiting, learning from, appreciating and
engaging in geo-sites. It is an integral part of UNESCO’s Global Geoparks program and is essential to geoparks development.
Geo-tourism adds to ecotourism’s principal focus on plants (flora) and animals (fauna) by adding a third dimension of the
physical and geological environment. Geo-tourism is growing around the world through the growth of UNESCO-designated
geoparks as well as independently in many natural areas22. Despite the rich geological features of Lebanon (hundreds of grottos,
caves, rock cavities, deep valleys, sinkholes, mountain and coastal cliffs, geological faults, and distinctive landforms/landscapes
from different geological eras) the geo-tourism potential is not explored in Lebanon. Many geological sites and features
constitute natural attractions for the domestic and international market (e.g., Baatara Gorge, Faqra natural stone bridge,
Raouche’s Pigeon Rocks, Jeita grotto, and Qadisha Grotto), yet they are not promoted as geo-tourism sites. On the other
hand, the Shouf Biosphere Reserve applied for the designation of a UNESCO Geopark in the Niha region and the Union of
Zgharta Municipalities is in the process of preparing a study to apply for the designation of a UNESCO Geopark in Ehden and
its surrounding area.
20 Detailed information about Domaine de Taanayel can be found on https://www.arcenciel.org/activities/domaine-de-taanayel/ 21 Domaine de Taanayel is managed by the Lebanese NGO Arcenciel, which is specialized in sustainable development including social and technical support for
people with reduced mobility. 22 http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/unesco-global-geoparks/
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 54
The MOT’s role in the ecotourism sector is only promotional. The Ministry publishes promotional
material and brochures for the major nature reserves in Lebanon and includes them in the list of natural
sites and destinations23.
III.6.3 ADVENTURE TOURISM
Adventure tourism definition: “Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel
with perceived (and possibly actual) risk, and potentially requiring specialized skills and physical exertion.
According to the U.S. based Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA), adventure travel may be any
tourist activity, including two of the following three components: a physical activity, a cultural exchange
or interaction and engagement with nature” (Adventure Travel Trade Association, adventuretravel.biz)
Adventure tourism activities are typically grouped into two categories, hard and soft.
• Hard adventures involve extreme and often risky sporting activities in nature and remote areas
such as trekking across rugged terrain, mountain biking, motorized off-roading, spelunking and
caving, paragliding, hot air ballooning, bungee jumping, sky diving, base jumping, rock climbing,
abseiling, climbing a via ferrata, snowboarding, alpine skiing, ski touring, windsurfing, kite-surfing,
scuba diving, free diving, rafting, kayaking, canyoning, playing survival games, and wild camping.
• Soft adventures are leisurely, often educational, and do not involve risky and strenuous activities.
They include backpacking, hiking, camping, orienteering, geocaching, wildlife observation and bird
watching, cycling and biking, river or sea fishing, canoeing, sailing, snorkeling, stand-up paddling,
cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, horseback riding, and donkey riding. Other activities such as farm
visits, culinary and wine tours, architectural, historical and archeological tours, and religious/spiritual
pilgrimages are sometimes considered soft adventures, especially when happening in remote areas.
Adventure tourism activities are also classified under categories like land-based sports, air-based sports,
and water-based sports (sea, rivers and lakes), or winter/snow sports and summer sports.
Hard adventure activities in Lebanon
Trekking across rugged terrain and long-distance hiking is practiced mainly on the LMT and along
rugged mountain ranges and summits such as Mount Hermon (or Jabal El Sheikh), Mount Makmel -
Qornet El Saouda summit (in addition to six other summits at over 3,000 meters above sea level), and
Mount Sannine. Trekking and long-distance hiking is sometimes combined with wild camping and
bivouacking. In addition to the LMT thru-hikes (crossing the LMT in one month) organized by the LMTA
twice per year, very few specialized tour operators organize such activities (e.g., 33 North, Ibex, Liban
Trek).
Mountain biking is practiced by very few Lebanese or foreign24 cyclists on an individual level in
Lebanon. There are no tour operators specialized in this activity. The Lebanese Cycling Federation
organizes yearly mountain biking competitions and races for the 16 registered cycling clubs and
independent cyclists. The LMTA mentions on its website the sections that are suitable for mountain
biking and is studying the possibility of promoting this activity on the LMT more professionally.
Spelunking and caving have been practiced in Lebanon since the 1950s. The country is known for its
rich geological heritage, with over 20 caves and a large number of sinkholes and gorges. Today there are
23 MOT promotional brochure for nature reserves and ecotourism:
http://mot.gov.lb/Content/uploads/Publication/200720112300000~reserves%20booklet%20wide.pdf 24 In 2019 the Red Bull athlete Kenny Belaey biked the entire LMT from north to south and produced a short video about his adventure that was published in April
2020 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOcSF-qbO_A&t=1s
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 55
four registered caving clubs and associations25 that organize professional outings to most of Lebanon’s
caves and sinkholes, and expeditions to discover new ones. Their activities are open only for their
members. From a touristic and recreational perspective, caving activities are organized by dozens of
formal tour operators and informal groups/guides. The Roueis cave in Majdel Akoura village is the major
destination for amateur caving.
Paragliding/paramotor has been practiced since the early 1990s in Lebanon. According to Lebanese
law, this outdoor sports activity is organized by clubs registered at the Ministry of Youth and Sports,
supervised by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (providing basic safety training), and controlled
by the Lebanese Army (providing a mandatory permit for each flight). There are four registered clubs
for paragliding in Lebanon including Club Thermique, Exit to Nature, Paragliding Lebanon, Cedars
Paragliding School, and three informal clubs that applied for registration at the Ministry of Youth and
Sports, and that operate based on permits from the Lebanese Army26. From a tourism and recreational
perspective, instructors from all clubs provide tandem paragliding and paramotor flights for individuals
(both from the domestic and foreign market). The Ghosta-Jounieh flight overlooking Harissa and the
Jounieh bay is the most popular one. Other locations for paragliding include Meziara, Bcharreh-Cedars,
Laklouk, and Hammana. The access to take-off and landing spots is regulated by the Union of Kesrouane
Municipalities in the case of Ghosta-Jounieh, whereas in the case of Meziara, the lack of control by the
municipality is creating conflict over the use of take-off/landing spots between different clubs/instructors.
Hot air ballooning has witnessed a few trials over the last few years in the Beqaa plains, more
specifically near the Aammiq wetland. This activity is not yet available for recreational and touristic
purposes in Lebanon.
Rock climbing and bouldering is possible as a result of Lebanon’s geological landscape, which offers
spectacular mountain and sea cliffs suitable for the development of climbing and bouldering activities.
Professional rock climbing started in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the development of the first
climbing sites in the villages of Tannourine and Chatine next to the Baatara Gorge by professional
French instructors. Since then, new crags have been bolted all around Lebanon by dozens of local
climbers with the help of foreign climbers visiting or living in Lebanon. Today, there are two official
rock-climbing associations in Lebanon: Rock Climbing Lebanon and the Lebanese Climbing Association
(LCA). The LCA was founded in 2012 with the aim of developing and promoting rock climbing,
mountaineering, and outdoor culture in the country. LCA members work on a voluntary basis to 1)
Introduce and promote rock climbing in different regions, schools, villages; 2) Secure rock climbing areas
in coordination with municipalities; 3) Develop new routes and sectors; 4) Raise awareness on climbing
ethics, safety and best practices; 5) Protect the environment around rock climbing sites; and 6) Organize
yearly competitions and workshops with professionals. According to the LCA, there are 16 climbing and
bouldering sites in Lebanon of different types and grades. The most renowned is in Tannourine, where
the municipality is trying to organize access, guarantee safety, and promote the site as a world-class
destination for climbing27. From a touristic and recreational perspective, very few tour operators and
informal mountain guides organize climbing activities for domestic tourists, whereas international
tourists who practice climbing in Lebanon are mostly professional climbers invited by their Lebanese
25 Spéléo Club du Liban - SCL (http://www.speleoliban.org), Association Libanaise d’Etudes Spéléologiques - ALES (http://www.alesliban.org), Groupe d’Etudes et de
Recherches Souterraines du Liban - GERSL (http://www.cavinglebanon.com), and Spéléo Club de Wadi Al-Arayech. 26 www.clubthermique.org; www.paraglidinglebanon.com 27 Detailed information about the LCA and climbing sites is available on www.lebaneseclimbingassociation.org
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 63
Facility Mohafazat, Caza,
Village
Main farming
activities Scale Services and activities Seasonality Online marketing
Insta: thegoodthymes Google map: The Good
Thymes
Saint Jacques
Farm
North Lebanon,
Batroun, Douma Ducks farm Medium Farm visit, F&B All year
www.lafermestjacques.com
Facebook: @LaFermeStJacques
Bioland North Lebanon,
Batroun, Sghar Vegetables Medium F&B All year
www.bioland.me
Facebook: @Bioland.Lebanon Insta: biolandlebanon
Google map: Bioland
Source: Compiled by author
III.6.5 GASTRONOMY AND WINE TOURISM
Gastronomy and wine tourism definition: The Committee on Tourism and Competitiveness
(CTC) of UNWTO defines gastronomy tourism as “a type of tourism activity which is characterized by
the visitor’s experience linked with food and related products and activities while travelling. Along with
authentic, traditional, and/or innovative culinary experiences, gastronomy tourism may also involve
other related activities such as visiting the local producers, participating in food festivals and attending
cooking classes. Whilst Eno-tourism (Wine Tourism), as a sub-type of Gastronomy Tourism, refers to
tourism whose purpose is visiting vineyards, wineries, tasting, consuming and/or purchasing wine, often
at or near the source” (World Tourism Organization, unwto.org).
Gastronomy tourism: Culinary heritage is an integral part of Lebanese cultural identity. The Lebanese
gastronomy culture is shaped by fertile agricultural lands, landscape and ecological diversity, different
microclimates, and social traditions, alongside ethnographic and community diversity. Throughout
history, Lebanese communities produced and developed a variety of fresh, dried, preserved, and cooked
food, as well as wine and Arak. The different civilizations that passed through Lebanon influenced
Lebanese cuisine, known primarily for its healthy Mediterranean diet, freshness, regional specialties, and
variety of dishes or mezze33.
Lebanon’s rural areas have a large number of restaurants, snack bars, and bakeries offering basic
traditional Lebanese food. The majority of these F&B services are located around natural and cultural
attractions. The gastronomy offer of these conventional restaurants is limited to basic and common
traditional Lebanese dishes and does not explore the wide variety of specialty dishes that can be found
in each region. On the other hand, culinary tourism projects and initiatives focusing on local specialties
linked to the terroir and to its agricultural heritage, as well as to social traditions, began emerging in the
last few years in different rural areas. In many cases, these initiatives are linked or integrated within
existing ecotourism products and agro-tourism facilities; the latter can also be considered gastronomy
service providers when they offer local products and food specialties. Service providers and initiatives
specialized in gastronomy tourism include:
• Darb El Karam, a food tourism network initiated by the FHF. It connects five villages in the Higher
Shouf and four villages in West Beqaa (Figure 14). Thematic seasonal packages are proposed in the
concerned villages where visitors can participate in picking and preservation activities and eat at the
houses of food producers and in tables d’hôtes where they enjoy local culinary specialties. By putting
33 A large array of small dishes that includes salads, dips, sausages and variety meats, vegetarian dishes cooked in olive oil, crudités, pickles, nuts, and pastries. Mezze
dishes are all served at the same time for lunch or dinners.
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visitors in contact with farmers, shepherds, food producers, and beekeepers, Darb El Karam aims to
raise awareness among tourists about the origin of an ingredient or a traditional dish and its cultural
and emotional ties to the destination and terroir, while diversifying the income of the hosts through
tourism. (www.food-heritage.org/darb-el-karam/)
• Tawlet is a network of traditional and specialty food restaurants initiated and managed by Souk El
Tayeb. Tawlet is based on a social business model where profit is generated to support farmers,
women, cooks, and producers. Tawlet has six restaurants in Beirut, Aammiq, Douma, Deir El
Qamar, Jrebta-Biomass, and Sidon. Depending on their location, Tawlet restaurants open on a
seasonal or permanent basis and offer a traditional Lebanese buffet prepared by women from
different regions.
• Taste Lebanon is a U.K.-based tour operator focusing on organizing food and culinary tours in
urban and rural areas of Lebanon. (www.tastelebanon.co.uk)
• Le Passport Culinaire is a company specialized in gastronomy and wine tours in rural areas and
mountain villages in Lebanon, as well as in Europe. It also offers cooking and tasting workshops.
(www.lepasseportculinaire.com).
• Slow Food Beirut is an NGO specialized in documenting and promoting specialty food and the
culinary heritage of Lebanon. (www.slowfoodbeirut.com)
• Fair Trade Lebanon is an NGO specialized in the promotion of Lebanese specialty preserved food
and supporting farmers and cooperatives to implement Fair Trade principles and designated Fair
Trade villages. (www.fairtradelebanon.org)
• Lebanon Mountain Trail Association: The LMTA is documenting and capitalizing on the food and
culinary heritage along the trail and is supporting local farmers, cooperatives, and guesthouses to
valorize their food culture through tourism services and activities.
Byblos Apple vinegar, apple preserves and kishk, mwarraqa (Amchit)
Kesrouane Goat cheese (Jord Kesrouane)
Matn Pine nuts, rice mixed with yoghurt and eggs (Baskinta)
Baabda Pine nuts, cherry jam and syrup (Hammana), carob molasses (Ksaibe)
Aley Pomegranate molasses, zaatar
34 It is worth mentioning that a Geographical Indication project law and complete study exists at the Ministry of Economy to designate geographical areas for food
35 Proposed champion firms for all intervention areas are indicative [incomplete sentence]. A more detailed and in-depth sub-sector analysis and firm evaluation is
needed to determine the stakeholder’s ability to be considered as a champion firm, and to identify additional ones. Champion firms can connect organizations and
rural tourism stakeholders together to form business clusters, regional clusters and/or DMOs including municipalities and their unions, nature reserves, farmers,
traditional and specialty food producers, rural and agricultural cooperatives, crafts makers, youth clubs, tour operators, outdoor sports clubs, tourism business
associations and syndicates, tourism and heritage NGOs, tourism digital platforms, and OTAs.
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IV.2 ATTRACTIONS, DESTINATIONS & PRODUCTS
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES Attractions:
• Deterioration of cultural heritage assets in general
• Poor maintenance and conservation of key touristic sites, which has resulted in deterioration and loss not only at the Lebanese level but also at the world heritage level
• Lack of modern complimentary offerings in rural and nature-based touristic sites (F&B, souvenirs, shopping)
• Pollution, environmental concerns, and the impact of climate change on natural resources
Destinations and products:
• Lack of themed tourism itineraries/packages reflecting Lebanon’s rich heritage and diverse experiences
• Seasonality and concentration of visitors/travelers in a few
destinations/attractions
• Absence of DMOs on the local/regional level
• Rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage
• Increasing demand for rural and nature-based tourism types on the domestic and international markets
• Lebanese cuisine, wine, and Arak can be used as important assets for tourism products development
• Willingness and readiness of local communities, municipalities, and NGOs to preserve and valorize their heritage resources
• Increased awareness of sustainability
• Increasing number of visitors to regions outside Beirut
• Increased awareness among municipalities and unions of municipalities to promote their regions under the cluster model and the need to create DMOs
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Protect and valorize natural and cultural heritage assets considered tourism attractions through
supporting municipalities, relevant associations, and protected areas to train their staff on
conservation issues, creating and implementing specific tourism management plans, implementing
visitor control and monitoring systems to respect sites carrying capacity, and adopting sustainable
and responsible tourism guidelines
• Design, create, test, and promote thematic itineraries/routes on the regional and national level with
a focus on:
− Cultural and intangible heritage tourism (e.g., seasonal food trails, historical routes following
specific civilizations such as Roman temples and Crusaders fortresses)
− Religious and faith tourism in cooperation with FBOs (Cf. www.culturalreligioustourism.com)
− City and village tours focusing on tangible heritage (architecture) and intangible heritage (stories
and traditions) in cooperation with municipalities, nature reserves, local guides, and NGOs
− National trails network that includes homogenized guidelines for trail design, building,
classification (difficulty levels and usages/activities), management, blazing, and maintenance (to be
coordinated with the LMTA)
− Ecotourism trails focused on biodiversity and wildlife observation including bird watching
− Adventure tourism destinations with a focus on mountain biking (such as in the Matn mountains
and in Jezzine), climbing and via ferrata (such as in Tannourine and in Akoura)
− Agro-tourism based on the agricultural heritage of each region and harvesting seasons
− Gastronomy based on the food heritage and traditions of each region
− Wine routes with a focus on small and micro wineries in Zahle, West Beqaa, Batroun-Byblos,
Kesrouane, Matn-Baabda, and Aley-Shouf
• Create regional clusters gathering key tourism service providers; the clusters can be based on:
− Administrative divisions as in the case of unions of municipalities
− Geographical clusters for villages and towns with similar and complementary attractions and
Tour operators and clubs: 33 North, Routes LB, Tourleb, Wanderleb, Club Thermique du Liban
Business associations: USEIL, Institut National de la Vigne et du Vin (INVV), UVL
IV.3 ECOTOURISM
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Absence of an ecotourism management plan in most of the nature reserves
• Weak knowledge in tourism and hospitality matters among nature reserve staff
• Absence of digitalized access control and proper data collection/analysis
• Overcrowding in the few nature reserves and a very low number of visitors to other reserves
• Limited number of conservation and education-related
activities
• Lack of integration of ecotourism services and activities in other protected sites and Hima (Cf. page 16 footnote 6 for more information on the Hima system)
• Reliance of a nature reserve on external funding to develop and improve ecotourism
• Lack of networking between nature reserves and ecotourism service providers
• Under exploitation of the geo-tourism concept
• Increasing demand for ecotourism on the domestic and global markets
• Increasing number of visitors to some nature reserves
• Readiness and willingness of nature reserve managers and staff to improve their services and activities
• Small investments needed to improve ecotourism services and activities
• Innovative ICT solutions for tourism marketing and promotions
• Rich geological heritage
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 74
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Support nature reserves and other protected natural sites to prepare and implement ecotourism
management plans
• Develop and promote conservation and environmental education activities such as bird watching
and wildlife observation
• Invest in digital marketing and promote and build brand awareness on the tourism e-marketplace
• Promote and facilitate small investments in ecotourism-related services and activities (e.g., guiding,
environmental education, eco-tour operators) in partnership with the private sector
• Create a national network for nature reserves and protected sites respecting the ecotourism
principles and offering ecotourism services and activities. The national network can work on
cooperative marketing and on the creation of joint packages and ecotourism products
• Introduce the geo-tourism component to nature reserves and other protected sites
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide technical and financial support to nature reserves and support them in:
- Creating, upgrading and implementing ecotourism and visitors’ management plans (e.g., carrying capacity, access control,
zoning systems, data collection and analysis, digital marketing and promotion)
- Diversifying ecotourism activities and products (e.g., ecotourism vacation and holidays, wildlife observation)
- Enhancing visitors’ experience and improving the quality of the delivered services (e.g., guiding services, educational activities)
- Creating business linkages with local, national and international tourism service providers (e.g., travel agents, eco-tour
operators)
- Enhancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability inside the reserve and in its surrounding areas (e.g., renewable
• Organize thematic regional and local agro-tourism events and festivals based on local traditions and
link them to the culinary heritage of each area
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 76
Illustrative interventions
Provide technical and financial support for agro-tourism facilities to enhance visitors’ experience through improving and
diversifying farm-related services, and through offering tourism products combining participation in farming activities focused on
families, educational activities for children, comfortable farm stays, F&B services focusing on locally grown, healthy and organic
food, as well as seasonal harvesting events. Agro-tourism facilities can work on increasing their cultivated areas and introducing
new crops to diversify their production and offer a wide variety of products for their visitors, in addition to the improvement
of their internal and external spaces to offer high quality/value services. Agro-tourism facilities and initiatives can partner with
other tourism service providers and rural stakeholders such as accommodation services, nature reserves and agricultural
cooperatives, in addition to specialized tour operators, in order to reach out to new market segments.
Potential partners/champion firms
Little Reed (Mount Lebanon – Baabda), Adonis Valley (Mount Lebanon – Byblos), La Vallée Blanche (Mount Lebanon – Byblos),
Domaine de Taanayel (Beqaa – Zahle), Al Haush Agro-tourism (Beqaa – Zahle)
IV.6 GASTRONOMY AND WINE TOURISM
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Limited number of gastronomy tourism service providers
• Absence of clear standards and criteria for wine tourism
• Inconsistent quality of services in micro and small wineries
• Limited knowledge of micro and small wineries in hospitality techniques
• Lack of integration of sustainability measures and practices in wineries
• Very rich and diverse culinary heritage
• Large number of wine producers providing basic tourism services and willing to upgrade their businesses
• Increasing demand for local products and healthy food
• Need and willingness of small and micro wineries to diversify their markets and increase direct sales
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Upgrade existing wine tourism services for micro and small wineries by improving their soft
infrastructure and renovating the spaces used to welcome and host visitors in order to provide an
authentic and comfortable experience
• Support existing gastronomy tourism service providers to expand their network and upgrade their
services through improving wine-food pairings and culinary offerings
• Train micro and small wineries on hospitality services and techniques to enhance visitor experience
• Organize regional and local gastronomy and wine festivals including harvesting and tasting activities
• Support the creation of local and regional clusters, routes and itineraries combining gastronomy and
wine tourism
• Integrate sustainability dimensions in wineries (e.g., adoption of renewable energy, sustainable waste
management, eco-construction)
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide financial support to food tourism service providers and micro/small wineries with plans to expand their gastronomy
and wine tourism offering, improve their performance and upgrade their services through developing soft infrastructure for
their facilities, equipment and indoor/outdoor hosting spaces (e.g., wine tasting equipment and tools, tasting rooms/areas, F&B
service facilities including kitchens and dining spaces). Such interventions should be linked to increasing the business volume,
diversifying the market segments (individual visitors and organized groups from domestic and international markets) as well as
enhancing visitors’ experience.
2) Provide technical support (hospitality services, product development, business linkages, marketing and promotion) for micro
and small wineries to overcome current challenges (the financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic) and to adapt/match their
offers with new market trends.
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 77
3) Create regional clusters for gastronomy and food tourism (linked to the agricultural heritage and existing agro-tourism
facilities) with a main hub (primary village/town or attractions/site) providing a large number of rural tourism services and
activities all year long, in addition to satellite villages/towns/attractions/sites providing specialized activities and seasonal events.
4) Create wine routes congregating wineries (specifically small and micro wineries) in specific regions and territories that share
similar characteristics from a terroir perspective (e.g., in Central Beqaa-Zahle, West Beqaa, Batroun-Byblos middle mountains,
Kesrouane, Matn-Baabda, and Aley-Shouf). The wine routes model (membership, management, branding, marketing and
promotion) might differ from one region to another based on the number and scale of wineries and their willingness to
cooperate and work together, and with other rural tourism stakeholders. Wine routes can be linear or circular and can have a
main hub represented by a prime winery (medium or large-scale) with satellite wineries (small and micro-scale). Wine routes
can also be integrated into rural tourism clusters and DMOs with linkages to other thematic routes (e.g., culinary, agricultural,
cultural, and natural itineraries).
Potential partners and champion firms
NGOs: FHF, Slow Food Lebanon, LMTA
Tour Operators: Le Passeport Culinaire
Businesses: Souk El Tayeb (Tawlet initiative)
Destinations: Darb El Karam in West Beqaa, Zgharta-Ehden, Tannourine-Chatine-Ehmej-Laklouk-Akoura, Shouf mountains
Wineries: Château Qanafar (Beqaa – West Beqaa), Domaine des Tourelles (Beqaa – Zahle), Domaine St. Gabriel (Mount
Lebanon – Byblos), St. Michael Winery (Mount Lebanon – Shouf), INVV, UVL
IV.7 MARKETING AND PROMOTION
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Absence of national tourism board
• Weak digital marketing and promotion
• Lack of market information and weak market intelligence
• Negative perceptions in the marketplace
• Absence of national “destination brand” and international promotion strategy
• Absence of territorial brands
• Increasing demand for alternative tourism forms on the global market
• Currency devaluation and increased competitiveness on the
international market
• Rise of gastro-diplomacy worldwide, which Lebanese cuisine can take advantage of as a destination and in improving its image abroad
• Promotion of Lebanon as a destination by the Lebanese diaspora, which is formed of nearly 14 million people
• Innovative ICT solutions for tourism marketing and promotions at the destination and firm levels
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Benefit from the currency devaluation and increased competitiveness on the international market to
attract new markets/market segments
• Create an innovative and flexible destination brand for Lebanon based on the new global trends with
a focus on Millennials and Generation Z
• Promote Lebanon as a destination for experiential and transformational tourism
• Invest in digital marketing and promotion and build brand awareness on the tourism e-marketplace
for regional destinations, firms, and service providers
• Target niche, resilient, and risk-tolerant markets (including the Lebanese diaspora)
Illustrative interventions
1) Provide technical and financial support to service providers and firms (accommodation services, F&B services, agro-tourism
facilities, tour operators, nature reserves, wineries), wine routes, clusters and DMOs to upgrade and enhance their digital
media presence, and to reach out to different market segments on the domestic and international level
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 78
2) Support regional clusters, DMOSs, nature reserves and national NGOs such as USEIL and LMTA to establish data collection
and analysis systems and to conduct market research in order to disseminate findings among relevant sub-sectors and rural and
nature-based tourism operators
Potential partners and champion firms
All organizations mentioned in the previous interventions, in addition to:
Media: Lebanon Traveler magazine and website
Digital platforms: Karya, Staycation Lebanon
IV.8 BUSINESS ENABLING ENVIROMENT
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES CHALLENGES/CONSTRAINTS OPPORTUNITIES
• Dysfunctional public sector and weak ministry
• Unclear mandates and overlap of responsibilities
• Weak value chain integration among key tourism service providers and stakeholders’ fragmentation
• Absence of national tourism development strategy
• Obsolete legal framework and unfavorable enabling environment for innovation and sustainable tourism
• Lack of data and absence of tourism satellite accounts to ensure informed decision-making
• Financial crisis and absence of capital investment
• Missing regulatory framework and absence of categorization, standard, quality control, certification and labeling for all rural
and nature-based tourism types (ecotourism, adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism) and their corresponding service providers (eco-tour operators,
local guides, hiking guides, mountain and outdoor sports guides, camping sites, eco-lodges)
• Increased awareness among key tourism stakeholders on the need to better organize rural and nature-based tourism types from a legal perspective and the need to integrate them in the general tourism value chain
• Urgent need to change the tourism business model in light of the compound crisis facing Lebanon
PROPOSED INTERVENTION AREAS
• Link conventional tourism service providers such as hotels and travel agents to rural and nature-
based tourism service providers and MSMEs such as small tour operators and tour guides
• Create an inbound travel business association formed of a cluster of specialized travel agents, tour
operators, and selected hotels and rural accommodation facilities
• Support the development of a regulatory/institutional framework for rural and nature-based tourism
and emerging tourism, and hospitality services/activities
• Categorize, standardize, and establish local/regional/national or international quality control systems,
labeling systems and/or certifications for rural and nature-based tourism types (ecotourism,
adventure tourism, agro-tourism, gastronomy and wine tourism) and their corresponding service
providers (eco-tour operators, local guides, hiking guides, mountain and outdoor sports guides,
camping sites, eco-lodges)
• Support service providers to acquire international certification when available and relevant, such as
with some outdoor activities (climbing, canyoning, paragliding, mountain guiding) and some
accommodation services (eco-lodges)
• Develop a national tourism sector strategy, with emphasis on sustainable, experimental, and
transformational tourism
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 79
Illustrative interventions
1) Support the creation of an inbound travel business association formed of a cluster of specialized travel agents, tour operators
and selected rural accommodation facilities, as well as leading operators in the ecotourism, agro-tourism, adventure tourism,
gastronomy and wine tourism sectors. The inbound travel business association will work international tourism promotion and
creating business linkages with international travel agents and tour operators.
2) Support nature reserves, clusters, DMOs, syndicates, and national NGOs to organize regional and national workshops and
seminars to elaborate specific guidelines, standards, and criteria to categorize existing rural and nature-based service providers
and activities, as well as to enhance visitors’ experience and guarantee a high-quality service. The guidelines, standards and
criteria can be translated into quality control systems, labeling systems and/or certification programs, based on similar
international schemes.
3) Create a national forum for rural and nature-based tourism involving all relevant stakeholders to share knowledge and
experiences, and to study and discuss organizational, management and legal issues, in addition to integrating the sustainability
dimensions in the rural and nature-based tourism types.
Potential partners and champion firms
All organizations mentioned in previous interventions
IV.9 PRIORITIZATION OF INTERVENTIONS
The below tables prioritize the rural and nature-based tourism interventions of the ARE activity based
on the needed time for execution with three proposed timeframes: short term (one to two years),
medium term (three to five years), through which the project will set the ground for long term
initiatives (over five years). The proposed interventions are also compared to their influence on three
main market segments: 1) domestic; 2) the Lebanese diaspora; and 3) international tourists. These three
markets are differently affected by the three overarching challenges facing Lebanon’s tourism sector: 1)
political and security instability; 2) the economic and financial crisis; and 3) the COVID-19 pandemic.
TABLE 21: LEBANON’S WINERIES TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY SERVICES CHARACTERISTICS
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 83
ANNEX 2: MUNICIPALITIES AND UNIONS OF
MUNICIPALITIES ACTIVE IN RURAL AND NATURE-
BASED TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND PROMOTION
Municipalities and unions active in rural and nature-based tourism development and promotion* Caza Union Municipalities Akkar - Menjez*, Mechmech, Fnaideq, Qobayat
Minieh-Dannieh Dannieh Union Bqaa Safrine, Kfar Bebnine, Sir Hermel - Hermel Baalbeck Deir El Ahmar Ainata*, Barqa, Bechouat, Deir El Ahmar*, Yammouneh
Bcharreh Bcharreh Union Bcharreh, Bqaa Kafra, Bazaaoun, Hadath El Jebbeh*, Hadchit, Hasroun Zgharta Zgharta Aarjes, Miziara, Zagharta-Ehden
Baabda - Aaraya, Arsoun, Falougha, Hammana*, Qornayel*, Ras El Maten Aley - Aley, Kfarmatta, Ramlieh Shouf Souayjani Union Ain Zhalta, Baadaran, Baaqline, Deir El Qamar, Barouk*, Jbaa, Maasser El Shouf, Mristi
Jezzine Jezzine Union Bkassine*, Jezzine*, Lebaa, Roum Sidon - Maghdouche*, Qraiyeh* Tyre - Sour (Tyre)
Bent Jbeil - Ain Ebel*, Tibnine Nabatieh - - Marjayoun Jabal Amel Union Deir Mimes, Ibl El Saqi
Hasbaya Hasbani Union Chebaa, Hasbaya, Kawkaba*, Rachaya El Foukhar Rachaya Qalaat El Istiklal Kfar Michki, Mdoukha, Mhaidseh, Rachaya* West Beqaa Bouhaira Union Ain Zebdeh, Aintanit, Kherbet Qanafar, Machghara, Qaraoun Zahle - Aanjar, Qab Elias, Zahleh-Taanayel
Source: Author
* Supported by USAID funded programs
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 84
ANNEX 3: PROTECTED TOURISTIC SITES BY DECISION
OF THE MINISTRY OF TOURISM Site Characteristics Mohafazat Caza Decision no. Year
USAID.GOV LEBANON ARE SECTOR ANALYSIS – TOURISM | 86
ANNEX 5: LEBANESE WINERIES AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
Winery Mohafazat Caza Village Founded Production
scale
Capacity in
BottlesVineyard Size in Ha
Number of
productsRed wine
Rose
wineWhite wine Sweet wine Arak Other products
Organic
wine
Restaurant/F&B
servicesBoutique Accommodation
Wine
tasting
Winery
tour
Vineyard
tour
Wine grape
harvesting eventsVisit Architecture
Venue/
eventsOther activities
Member of
UVLWebsite
Cave Kouroum Beqaa West Beqaa Kefraya 1998 Medium 400,000 Yes 180 10 Yes Yes Yes No YesOlive oil
VinegarNo No No No Yes Yes No No Walk in Modern No No No cavekouroum.com
Chateau Kefraya Beqaa West Beqaa Kefraya 1951 Large 1,500,000 Yes 320 15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Mistelle No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Walk in Traditional Yes No Yes chateaukefraya.com
Chateau Marsyas Beqaa West Beqaa Kefraya 2005 Small 60,000 Yes 65 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Online booking Modern Yes No No chateaumarsyas.com
Chateau Qanafar Beqaa West Beqaa Kherbet Qanafar 2005 Small 55,000 Yes 17 8 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No Yes chateauqanafar.com
Umami Wines Beqaa West Beqaa Kherbet Qanafar 2018 Micro 18,000 No N/A 2 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Terre Joie Beqaa West Beqaa Kherbet Qanafar 2008 Micro 22,000 Yes 10 4 Yes Yes No No No No No No No No Yes No Yes No Phone booking Traditional No No No terrejoie.com
Latourba Beqaa West Beqaa Saghbine 2014 Small 60,000 Yes 45 10 Yes Yes Yes No No Sparkling wine No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No No latourba.com
St Clement Winery Beqaa West Beqaa Saghbine 2010 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Reserve Ammiq Beqaa West Beqaa Ammiq 2008 Micro 8,000 Yes 70 5 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No Yes No No No Phone booking Traditional No Ecotourism No reserveammiq.com
Chateau Ksara Beqaa Zahle Ksara 1857 Large 3,000,000 Yes 450 19 Yes Yes Yes Yes YesEau de Vin
MoscatelNo Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Walk in Traditional Yes No Yes chateauksara.com
Domaine des Tourelles Beqaa Zahle Chtaura 1868 Medium 350,000 Yes 50 10 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Liqueur No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No No Yes domainedestourelles.com
Chateau Ka Beqaa Zahle Chtaura 2004 Medium 300,000 No N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No Yes kassatly.net/chateau-ka
Chateau Heritage Beqaa Zahle Qab Elias 1997 Medium 300,000 Yes 100 12 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern NoHiking
Farm visitYes chateauheritage.com
Chateau St Thomas Beqaa Zahle Qab Elias 1997 Medium 450,000 Yes 65 9 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Modern No No Yes chateaustthomas.com
Domaine Wardy Beqaa Zahle Zahle 1994 Medium 320,000 Yes 12 17 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Vodka No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes No Yes domainewardy.com
Orange blossomYes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes chateaukhoury.com
Domaine de Baal Beqaa Zahle Zahle 2006 Micro 20,000 Yes 6 3 Yes No Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes domainedebaal.com
Coteaux du Liban Beqaa Zahle Zahle 1999 Medium 100,000 Yes 15 6 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Phone booking Modern No No Yes libancave.com
Massaya (closed) Beqaa Zahle Taanayel 1998 Small 70,000 Yes N/A 7 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Modern Yes No No massaya.com
Chateau Nakad Beqaa Zahle Jdita 1923 Medium 400,000 Yes N/A 9 Yes Yes Yes No YesAfandello
GinNo No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes chateaunakad.com
Clos MasHelios Beqaa Zahle Jdita 2007 Micro 5,000 Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No closmashelios.com
Chateau Rayak Beqaa Zahle Rayak 2015 Micro 25,000 Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional Yes No No chateaurayak.com
Vertical 33 Beqaa Zahle Mraijet 2014 Micro N/A Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional Yes No No vertical33.com
Domaine des Deux Montagnes Beqaa Rachaya Beit Lahiya 2016 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 2 Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Barka Baalbeck-Hermel Baalbeck Barka 2009 Medium 150,000 Yes N/A 6 Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No No Phone booking Modern NoHiking
BikingNo vignaverde.net
Couvent Rouge Baalbeck-Hermel Baalbeck Deir El Ahmar 2010 Medium 120,000 Yes 260 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern Yes No No couventrougewinery.com
Muse du Liban Baalbeck-Hermel Baalbeck Ainata El Arz 2015 Small 50,000 Yes 70 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No museduliban.com
Domaine St Gabriel Mount Lebanon Jbeil Ghalboun 2017 Micro 25,000 Yes 7 1 Yes No No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Phone booking Modern No Hiking No N/A
Chateau Gharzouz Mount Lebanon Jbeil Gharzouz 2015 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 1 Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes No No No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Wadih Winery and Cidery Mount Lebanon Jbeil Mgheire-Akoura 2008 Micro 8,000 Yes 2 13 Yes No Yes No NoSparkling cidre
Blue wineNo No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Musar Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Ghazir 1930 Large 700,000 Yes 180 10 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No Yes chateaumusar.com
Château Sainte-Andrée Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Ghbaleh 2013 Micro N/A N/A N/A 4 Yes Yes Yes No No Liqueur No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional Yes No No N/A
Chateau Bybline Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Wata El Joz 1996 Micro 10,000 Yes 2 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No chateaubybline.com
Chateau Fakra Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Kfardebiane 1985 Medium 250,000 Yes 40 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No chateaufakra.com
Vignoble Joura Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Kfardebiane 2018 Micro N/A Yes N/A 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No Hiking No N/A
Cave des Ours Mount Lebanon Kesrouane Kfardebiane 2015 Micro N/A No N/A 3 No No No No Yes Apple wine No No No No No No No No N/A Traditional No No No cavedesours.com
Riachi Winery and Distellery Mount Lebanon Matn Khenchara 1839 Small 90,000 Yes 20 20 Yes Yes Yes No YesWhiskey
Gin No Yes No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No riachi.me
Riachi Vineyards Mount Lebanon Matn Khenchara 2006 Small N/A N/A N/A 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Cave du Monastere St Jean Mount Lebanon Matn Khenchara 1720 Micro 20,000 Yes 15 6 Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes Yes No No Phone booking Monastic No No No N/A
Chateau Oumsiyat Mount Lebanon Matn Mtein 1950 Large 700,000 Yes 90 14 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Blue wine No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes Hiking Yes chateauoumsiyat.com
Ardoum Mount Lebanon Matn Mtein 1982 Micro N/A N/A N/A 3 Yes No Yes No Yes No No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Traditional Yes Hiking No N/A
Domaine des Princes Mount Lebanon Matn Mtein 1950 Medium 200,000 Yes 23 2 Yes No Yes No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Trois Collines Mount Lebanon Baabda Dahr El Baydar 2015 Small 70,000 Yes 40 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
The Three Brothers Mount Lebanon N/A N/A 2019 Micro N/A N/A N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No Yes Gin No No No No No No No No N/A Modern N/A No No N/A
Domaine Kortbawi Mount Lebanon Baabda Kfarselwan 1887 Small N/A N/A N/A N/A Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Traditional No No No N/A
Chateau Nabise Mount Lebanon Aley Rechmaya 1999 Micro 15,000 Yes 2 8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No No No nabise.com
Chateau Cana Mount Lebanon Aley Ras El Harf 1999 Medium 100,000 Yes 13 10 Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Traditional Yes No Yes chateaucana.com
Iris Domain Mount Lebanon Aley Bhamdoun 2010 Micro 5,000 Yes 5 1 Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Yes No No No Phone booking Traditional No No No irisdomain.com
Chateau Belle Vue Mount Lebanon Aley Bhamdoun 2000 Micro 20,000 Yes 24 3 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional Yes No Yes chateaubelle-vue.com
Chateau Florentine Mount Lebanon Shouf Majdel Meouch 2010 Small N/A Yes N/A 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Traditional No No No N/ASt Michael Winery Mount Lebanon Shouf Masser El Shouf 2010 Micro 10,000 No N/A 7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Rose Water No Yes No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No N/AAtibaia Winery North Lebanon Batroun Smar Jbeil 2008 Micro 12,000 Yes 5 5 Yes No Yes No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Online booking Traditional No No Yes atibaiawine.com
Aurora winery and vineyards North Lebanon Batroun Rachkiddeh 2003 Micro 10,000 Yes 3 6 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Online booking Traditional No No Yes aurorawinery.com
Batroun mountains North Lebanon Batroun Rawabi 2003 Small 50,000 Yes 12 25 Yes Yes Yes Yes YesOrange liqueur
Sparkling wineYes No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Chateau Sanctus North Lebanon Batroun Mar Mama 1999 Micro 20,000 Yes 10 4 Yes No No No No No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No Yes chateausanctuslebanon.com
Clos du Pheonix North Lebanon Batroun Eddeh 2013 Micro 10,000 Yes 6 5 Yes Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes No Yes closduphoenix.com
Coteuax de Botrys North Lebanon Batroun Eddeh 1998 Small N/A Yes 17 2 Yes No No No No No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Modern No No Yes N/A
Domaine S. Najm North Lebanon Batroun Chabtine 1994 Micro 5,000 Yes 2 2 Yes No No No Yes No No No No No Yes Yes No No Phone booking Traditional No No No N/A
Ixsir North Lebanon Batroun Basbina 2008 Medium 300,000 Yes 120 8 Yes Yes Yes No No No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Walk in Traditional Yes No Yes ixsir.com
Sept winery North Lebanon Batorun Nahleh 2016 Micro 7,000 Yes 2 2 Yes No Yes No No No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern Yes No No levinsept.com
Ishtar winery North Lebanon Koura Dar Baachtar 2015 Micro 15,000 Yes 4 4 Yes Yes Yes No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No No No N/A
Mont d'Almaz North Lebanon Bcharreh Beit Menzer 2006 Micro N/A Yes N/A 3 Yes Yes No No No No No No No No Yes Yes Yes No Phone booking Modern No Hiking No montdalmaz.com
Les Caves d'Eden North Lebanon Zaghrta Toula-Ehden 2017 Micro N/A Yes N/A 6 Yes Yes Yes No No Lemoncello No Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Phone booking Traditional No Hiking No N/A
Karam wines South Lebanon Jezzine Qattine 2002 Small 90,000 Yes N/A 13 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Online booking Modern No No Yes karamwines.com
Les Vigne du Marjes Nabatieh Marjayoun Marjayoun 2018 Micro 20,000 Yes 5 5 Yes Yes No No No No No No No No No No No No N/A Modern No No No lesvignesdumarje.com
AdyarMount Lebanon
North Lebanon
Batroun
Jbeil
Kfifane
Maad2001 Medium N/A Yes N/A 15 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No Yes No No No Phone booking Monastic Yes No Yes adyar.org.lb
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