Lebanon needs more tourists

The mild weather is not the only reason one would be forgiven for thinking it is still spring in downtown Beirut. (more…)

Syria: Death of tourism most visible sign of major economic damage

The Ayenor boutique hotel in Damascus has a fountain splashing in its sunlit courtyard and four-poster beds in $100-a-night rooms that were usually full, until three months ago. Now, every room is empty, (more…)

Passengers stage mutiny aboard Lebanese airline

Passengers ‘mutinied’ on a flight from Heathrow after a thunderstorm left them waiting for take-off for almost seven hours.

Trouble erupted after a Beirut-bound Middle East Airlines plane, with 230 passengers aboard, had to abort a 5pm take-off on Thursday, having already missed its original 1pm departure slot. (more…)

Morocco counts cost of bombing at tourist hotspot

Morocco was counting the cost to its vital tourism industry on Friday from an explosion at a busy Marrakesh cafe that killed 15 people in an attack described by the government as a terrorist act. (more…)

Lebanon, Syria sign tourism cooperation agreement

Syria’s Tourism Minister Saadallah Agha Al-Qalaa and his Lebanese counterpart Fadi Abboud signed on Monday the executive program of the tourist cooperation agreement between Syria and Lebanon for the years 2011-2015. (more…)

Lebanon tourists up 17.6% in 2010

Lebanon attracted 17.6 percent more tourists in the first 10 months of the year compared with the same period in 2009, the Daily Star reported, citing the Ministry of Tourism. (more…)

Shark attack kills German tourist in Egypt

A German woman has been killed in a shark attack while snorkelling off the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, officials say. (more…)

US will issue today a ‘travel alert’ for Europe

The Obama administration will warn U.S. citizens to be vigilant as they travel in Europe, providing updated guidance prompted by al-Qaida threats, American and European officials told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Such a move could have negative implications for European tourism, business and diplomacy if travelers fear there’s a possibility of terror attacks. (more…)

Things Are Happening in Hamra

By Seth Sherwood
Take one of Beirut’s battered 1970s Mercedes taxis through the city center and you’ll chance across plenty of gold-plated names these days.

New Beirut hotels opening at the right time

The latest hotels in Beirut could not have timed their entrance to the market much better. The new properties in the Lebanese capital are benefitting from the recent upswing in revenue per available room as illustrated by data from STR Global, the leading provider of market information to the global hotel industry. (more…)