Tourism can return to Lebanon but the country needs stability

A newly installed billboard with a statement that reads 'Lebanon a new era' on the road leading to Beirut's Rafic Hariri International airport. AFP

Two months into my tenure as Lebanon’s Minister of Tourism, I am aware that words alone will not restore trust.

Lebanon’s immense potential – economic, cultural, human – has long been overshadowed by chronic governance failure, political instability, underinvestment and security concerns. The most recent war only deepened those challenges. Nowhere is this contrast sharper than in the tourism sector: a country consistently celebrated for its beauty, yet too often unable to welcome the very visitors who know it best.

Today, Lebanon is entering a new chapter. The election of President Joseph Aoun and the formation of a reform-oriented cabinet under Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have brought a long-awaited shift. The road ahead is challenging, and progress will take time. But there is now leadership that recognises tourism as a reflection of how well we solve structural problems. Tourism cannot thrive without stability, functional institutions and public confidence. That is the foundation we are committed to rebuilding.

This requires acknowledging the reasons Lebanon fell off the travel map – particularly for our long-time friends from the Gulf.

Since 2011, travel restrictions from GCC states have significantly reduced Gulf tourism to Lebanon. These decisions were rooted in security concerns, but they also reflected a broader loss of confidence in our country’s ability to deliver predictability, stability and safety. Meanwhile, some local discourse strayed into unhelpful and even harmful rhetoric, undermining the deep ties between our societies and economies. These attitudes isolated Lebanon and inflicted long-term damage on one of our most vital regional partnerships.

Our strategy is about reconnection and restoring Lebanon’s place in the hearts and plans of its regional neighbours as well as its global diaspora

We are now addressing these realities.

First, we are strengthening co-ordination across government to ensure that the entire visitor experience reflects the seriousness of our national recovery. Significant progress has already been made at and around Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport, where upgrades in infrastructure and inter-agency co-operation are improving access, service and security.

Second, we are redesigning the tourism journey to meet modern expectations. This includes higher hospitality standards and consistent, transparent pricing. For Gulf visitors in particular, we are encouraging medical, wellness and cultural offerings that reflect their current expectations, grounded in authenticity, not nostalgia.

But our strategy goes beyond recovery; it is about reconnection. That means restoring Lebanon’s place in the hearts and plans of its regional neighbours as well as its global diaspora. Millions of Lebanese expatriates have carried their country in their hearts, even when they could not carry it in their travel plans. For many, the connection has been bittersweet: pride in their heritage, shadowed by disappointment in the institutions meant to serve it.

Our ministry sees Lebanese expatriates not simply as tourists, but as partners. We are working on initiatives to help them rediscover the country with their families: from spiritual trails and ecological escapes to heritage preservation projects and credible avenues for local investment. When Lebanese expats return, they bring more than just revenue; they bring belief. And belief is the cornerstone of recovery.

At the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, I will present Lebanon’s case, avoid slogans and share clear priorities. I look forward to meeting with airlines, hospitality groups and regional investors. I also look forward to standing beside Lebanese entrepreneurs – travel operators, culinary artists and hospitality leaders – whose creativity and courage have sustained the essence of the tourism sector through our most difficult years. Their work proves what is possible when imagination meets perseverance.

Now, their resilience must be matched by government resolve. We are not promising miracles or illusions. What we offer is a path – measured, co-ordinated and committed to the long term. A tourism model that is inclusive, forward-looking and aligned with Lebanon’s broader reset.

Lebanon is back. We are determined to prove it.