Lebanon is booming this summer and the Lebanese are doing what they do best: business. Times might be tough in many parts of the world and yet the universal gloom has not affected this small country which has handled the international financial crisis remarkably well. In fact reality goes beyond fiction in Beirut which has become the bling bling capital of the Middle East. Lebanon is definitely, the place to be if you have lots of money to spend. In fact, once you are in Lebanon, you are made to feel that if you have money, then it’s your duty to spend it.
Beirut is not for the faint-hearted on a shoe-string budget. I can still remember Pierre Ashkar, president of the Hotelier’s Syndicate, telling me 10 years ago that Lebanon was a small country and the way to preserve it was to offer top quality service to those who could afford to pay. Did he know then, that, a decade later, these “happy few” would number two million tourists, mainly Arabs from the Gulf.
Tourists are indeed flowing into Lebanon. According to Nada Sardouk, general director at the Ministry of Tourism, two million Arabs are expected by the end of 2009. “That will be an absolute record in the history of Lebanon” — which has only four million inhabitants.
Dubai, still badly affected by the global financial crisis, is suffering a downturn in its hotel occupancy rate, followed by Oman. On the contrary, Beirut’s occupancy rate, boosted by political stability, has soared to 90 percent. Beirut — closely followed by Jeddah — remains the top performer in the region and its hospitality sector is expected to grow.
The economic meltdown might be changing the way people live in the West but the Lebanese beg to differ. Here, you are judged and served according to what you possess and the more the better. You hear lots of stories about how rich people spend their money and they are all true. One restaurant owner in Solidere received $50,000 from a customer who reserved 20 tables for two whole months. Most of the time only a few are occupied but that is what the bling bling culture is all about: Money not only talks but also shocks. In bling bling Beirut, when you have money, you flash it and get noticed.
And there are plenty of ways to show off this summer. There have never been so many beach resorts filled to overflowing and entrance fees are about $20 per person. And festivals are no longer associated with culture only, they generate also big business.
The Baalbeck Festival is 52 years old, Beiteddine already 20 and Byblos 10. They are followed by the Zouk Festival and the recent Mountain Festivals such as the Broumana, Hammana and Faqra festivals. Less sophisticated and cheaper, these mountain festivals appeal to families and they benefit from a wonderful cool climate, a far cry from the sultry heat and sticky humidity suffocating the coastal cities. This year, all the mountain resorts are teeming with visitors enjoying not only the fresh air but also breathtaking views and the quaint village atmosphere. One can only hope that these picturesque mountain villages will preserve their natural beauty which is not the case with Beirut. Beirut, once a city of gardens, has become a concrete jungle. The Lebanese have lost all their sense of creativity. Moreover, they seem to be disconnected from their past. Otherwise, how can one explain why the few architectural remnants of old Beirut are being destroyed instead of preserved? The city’s soul is buried under a plethora of towers whose lack of character and beauty is both shocking and depressing. While the saddest thing is that the majority of Lebanese do not care, tourists are happy to be spending their holiday in a country where having a good time is everybody’s business.
