Running Head: DESTINATION EVALUATION

DESTINATION EVALUATION

Introduction

Lebanon is a country whose name was derived from a Semitic word ‘laban’ which means white in reference to its snowcapped mountains. The country is well known for its rich culture, trade and sophistication plus it is located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is situated at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and is bordered by Syria on the north and Israel in the south. Lebanon is well positioned in a way that it serves as a meeting point for different people in the three continents that surround it and these is evident from the rich historical and archeological sites that are found in the country. Lebanon’s culture is diversified with most of its citizens speaking English, Arabic and French. An interesting fact about the country is hundreds of well –preserved mosaic mostly from the Romans and the Byzantine; this can be seen from the streets buildings that include mosques and churches.

History

Lebanon has come a long way since gaining its independence from France in 1943, where the country experienced 15years of civil war i.e. between 1975-90. However, the country has progressed accordingly since the end of the war by rebuilding its political system and conducting several successful elections. Some of militia groups in the country have also been disbanded and reduced, except for the Hizballah which is known to be a Foreign Terrorist organization by the U.S state department and Palestinian groups. In 1945 Lebanon was a founding member of the League of Arab States which enabled it to become a member of the United Nations. After its independence Lebanon experienced large waves of immigration from neighboring countries, due to the instability in those countries.

It attracted thousands of skilled laborers, entrepreneurs and intellectuals. These skilled foreigners had a positive impact on the economy since over the years the country’s economic force has revolved around its entrepreneurs.

Tourism in Lebanon

Tourism is referred to as the activities of people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environments for leisure or business. The Lebanon Tourism service was created in the 1930s and its main role was to monitor and supervise the industry in the country. Twelve years later another commission (General tourism commission) was established to undertake certain tasks like; to inform the ministerial department about the tourism in the country, to promote Lebanon as a tourism destination to other foreign countries, and to monitor private tourism enterprises and professions. In the 1960s major projects were carried out in Lebanon since the commission had promoted the country fully therefore attracting more tourists in the country especially from neighboring nations. By the year 1966 tourism in Lebanon had grown on a global scale which led to the creation of the Ministry of tourism.

The ministry was composed of General Directorate of Tourism and its role was to; promote tourism, regulating tourism professions, coordinating private companies working with the ministry, developing archeological, historical sites and museums for tourism purposes and promoting tourism investment projects.

The ministry of tourism in Lebanon has made some considerable progress and this can well be illustrated by the diagram below;   Diagram 1. Growth in Tourism in Lebanon over the years www.worldvision.org

Tourist attractions in Lebanon

Lebanon has a wide array of tourist attractions that include historical sites, cultural structures, cities, and valleys. Some of vestiges used during civilization in the country still exist and also act as tourist attraction sites. Among the notable sites that tourist visit in the country includes the oldest and populated cities of Byblos, Beirut and Sidon. Lebanon has a number of Roman ruins that are scattered in the country and one of the most famous in the world is the Baalbek which is was officially declared by UNESCO as a world heritage. This is because some of most well-preserved Roman temples in the world are found in the ancient city.

Other of the world heritage sites as proposed by UNESCO, include the Qadisha valley which houses some of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world. The valley also holds numerous caves which were used by refugees who were fleeing religious persecution in Syria in the fifth century. Cedar trees which are known to be the some of the oldest trees on planet earth can also be found in the country. The country is also regarded as one of the best places to party in the world and in the year 2009 it was voted as a number one tourist destination in the world by the New York Times.

Lebanon’s mild climate and natural beauty consisting of snow-capped mountains and the Mediterranean Sea makes it a natural tourist attraction. It is also the only country in the Arab world that offers skiing and other related winter sports.

The country has some of the best hospitals in the world with over 130 years of medical experience. Healthcare and hospitalization services are well developed and maintained therefore attracting different people some of whom are students seeking further studies and also patients who seek better health services. The country has 161 hospitals, 48 of which have international accreditation and seven university hospitals.

Political impact of tourism in Lebanon

Negative impact

Political instability of a country especially one which is believed to be a tourists destination, really affects the country’s tourism sector. In choosing their favorite destinations, tourists often long for relaxing and unconcerned holiday making and therefore they are very sensitive to violence in holiday destination. When there is violence in a country tourists are not guaranteed of their security and therefore they cannot risk their lives hence opting for another alternative tourist’s destination with similar characteristics.

Between the years 1975- 1990, the tourism industry in Lebanon was greatly affected because of the long civil war the country was experiencing. The number of tourists that visited the country drastically dropped simply because of the political instability in the country. The tourism sector plays a major role in the development of a country and therefore it is the duty of leaders in the country to streamline the politics of their countries so as to attract tourists.

Positive impact

Some of the well known tourists’ destinations in the world like Lebanon have a well organized political system that assures tourists of freedom of movement and ample security.

For instance Lebanon progressed fully after 15years of civil war in the country, whereby it rebuilt its political system which has made the country to develop over the years up to date.

The success of political leaders also attracts foreigners who visit the country so as to satisfy their curiosity and also learn more from the countries success. Lebanon has registered increased tourists visits over the years since it has some of the oldest historical and archeological sites in the Arab world.

Environmental impact

The tremendous growth of tourism in Lebanon is as a result of the interrelation between climatic change and the industry. The huge nature attractions found in the country are sufficiently favored by the varied environmental conditions experienced in the country. For instance during the winter holidays Lebanon hosts a number of sports e.g. skiing, which are conducted at the snow covered mountains slopes. These kinds of sports attract more tourists in the country some of whom who go there to hike along the 440km Lebanon mountain trail.

The Mediterranean Sea which can easily be traced from different views in the country offers a combination various trips which include; city tours, educational travels and eco-tourism. Along the coast there are beach resorts surrounded by shady palm trees where visitors can have a relaxing sun bath, while others swim in the Sea.

However, these climatic conditions vary from time to time and in some cases they might not offer a perfect condition for tourists to relax and enjoy their holidays. For example the winter season may fail or delay due to global warming and these can impact the tourism industry negatively since the number of tourists will reduce.

Social and Cultural impacts

Positive impacts

Lebanon has a rich cultural background that still exists up to date and this is evident from the Lebanese people who have embraced their culture and also from the old buildings that are highly maintained on the streets. The Lebanese people are from different religions with some Christians and others Muslims. The difference in religions has enhanced interaction between the people and they have become more accommodating hence attracting more tourists who find it easy to adapt to the Lebanese lifestyle.

Lebanon is a well organized Middle East country and its citizens uphold good moral values that characterize the rich historical sites in the country. It is this moral value that have lifted the country to great heights and made it to be a major tourist’s destination. More tourists visit the country with the urge to learn and interact with the different cultures. This has helped the country in uniting its citizens especially at a time when the country was collapsing as a result of civil wars.

Negative impacts

The social and cultural impacts can sometimes affect the tourism sector negatively in that when there is some conflict between different communities; tourists tend to fear visiting the country. Tourists don’t like hostile people, since their aim is to interact and enjoy their holidays in the best possible way. Lebanon was once affected in the 15th century when the different religious groups clashed resulting in some of people migrating to neighboring countries. The existence of different militia groups in the 1970’s and 1980’s also made tourists to associate the country with war thus tarnishing the image of the country.

Role of tourism in economic diversification

Tourism is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in the world which is impacting the economies of most tourist destinations. Lebanon’s economy has greatly been influenced by the growth in the tourism industry, whereby it has created employment in the country as well as attracting investors into the country. The country has also limited industries and 14 million expatriates hence making the country to rely heavily on tourism. Furthermore the tourism industry creates a share of 38% of jobs in the country both directly and indirectly.

The government of Lebanon offers incentives to foreign investors like low income tax rates hence attracting more business activities in the country. The country has made tremendous changes especially to the infrastructure whereby rehabilitation has been made so as to keep up with the changes in technology. As a result of this Lebanon has been placed at the center of the economic map in the Middle East as a host of several foreign multinationals.

The growth of the tourism industry in Lebanon has also resulted to the review of major sectors of the economy e.g. the business community whereby the business laws and regulations have been revised to improve the economy of the country. The country has embraced new business ventures that have been brought about by tourists who have invested in the country. The good relation with other countries has enabled the Economy of Lebanon to progress since the country has conducted trade with different countries hence diversifying its economy.

The tourism sector in Lebanon has also generated more income into the country over the years, with preliminary figures issued by the UN World tourism in 2009 showing a 39% increase in tourists’ arrivals from the previous year. This was the highest growth rate recorded in that year by the UN World, giving Lebanon a perfect position on the global economic market.

The industry plays a major role in the economic sector of Lebanon where it generates 10.2% of the GDP in the country.

Issues facing the development of tourism Lebanon

As Lebanon moves forward to improve its image of the perfect tourist destination and a reliable center for investment, the shadow of war still looms over the country. There have been high concerns in recent years over deteriorating relation between Lebanon and Israel due to the rising tension in their borders. Many people especially tourists fear that a war might break between the two nations hence opting to visit alternative countries.

Another issue that hinders the development of tourism in Lebanon is the neighboring warring countries e.g. Israel whereby the conflicts in those countries spread into Lebanon. A good example is of the devastating 2006 assault on Lebanon by the Israeli’s where many Lebanese were killed and 2.8 billion dollars loss incurred as a result of the war. According to analyst in the country, 15 years of economic development were wiped done by the war hence impacting the country negatively.

Political bickering which characterizes the Lebanese government also has some serious affects on the tourism industry in the country. These issues sometimes attract international attention, especially from potential tourists who closely monitor the situations in the country so as to note the developments of such events. In most cases of conflicts and political instability, the security of the country is compromised hence having serious impacts on the development of the country.

The environmental conditions which are unpredictable like global warming, affects the development of tourism in Lebanon whereby sometimes the weather conditions do not offer a good atmosphere for tourists to relax and enjoy their holidays. The changes in weather conditions affect mainly the following sectors; water resources like the Mediterranean Sea, terrestrial ecosystem and the socio-economic aspects. Increase in temperature affects the snow-capped mountains where tourists visit for skiing purposes, hence reducing the rate of tourists’ visits in the country.

Impacts of tourism in Lebanon

Due to increased income generation from the tourism industry, Lebanon has made tremendous changes in various aspects of the society like the rehabilitation of its infrastructure technologically. New hotels have come up in the city of Beirut to cater for the increased visits in the country while the major roads that connect the city to tourists sites in the have been rebuilt to enhance mobility and accessibility.

Tourism has popularized Lebanon world over and everyone wishes to travel to the Middle East country to explore the beauty of the country. Any tourist, who has been to Lebanon and enjoyed the different attractions that the country offers, has in one way or another marketed the country to the outside world. Lebanon has been recognized by various major international organizations like the UN for recording outstanding figures when it comes to tourist visits. The country’s unique physical features like the ancient towns and valleys are also widely known because they attract more tourists in Lebanon. This has helped the country to development technologically and economically.

The education system in Lebanon has also developed over the years due to investments of world class infrastructure by the government which has resulted to more foreign students studying in the country. The country has a well organized community development system that has greatly been influenced by the growth of the tourism industry.

The fact that the tourism industry in Lebanon is the main driving force behind its economy, has influenced the way the country is governed and also enhanced good relations with foreign countries. Other sectors that rely on tourism e.g. hotels and resort beaches have registered growth in line with the development of the industry in the country.

Lebanon which was one’s a country popular of continuous wars and political instability is now famous for the different tourist attractions that it offers. The image of the country has greatly improved on the global scale and this is mainly because of the tourism industry which has transformed the country. Tourism has brought about a development strategy whereby there is regional diversification of products in Lebanon to provide equal and excellent services to all tourists in major towns.

Lebanon has also focused on developing its workforce and several training programs have been sponsored by the government to provide skilled personnel to the growing tourism industry. This has helped in the creation of jobs in the country therefore utilizing the human resource accordingly. Typical partnerships have been developed between diverse segments in Lebanon so as to stretch their marketing budget and improve their services to the tourism sector.

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