Cultural festivals and rural tourism to counter Gulf boycott

Tourism ministry sources have disclosed to Al Markaziya online portal yesterday an upsurge in the number of summer festivities, reaching some 100 international and local events, including, the Baalbaq festival which commemorates its 60th anniversary, and others emerging, like the Minyara and Rashaya fiestas. Almost all the Lebanese towns and villages are competing in organizing similar events like never before in the history of the country, the sources said, while adding that these cultural events lighted up the nights of Lebanon with a turnout of thousands of locals, Arabs, emigrants and foreigners thus supporting the ailing local economy. To this effect, the streets of Baalbaq in the Beqaa for example, were vibrant and busting with crowds of people, nearly 3 thousand persons who attended the opening ceremony of the Baalbek International Festival. According to the same sources, and notwithstanding the receding number of Arab Gulf visitors mainly for political considerations, Pharaon developed a Plan B to boost rural tourism and to popularize the’ guesthouse culture’. (Al Mustaqbal, Al Diyar, July 27, 2016)