Elie marouni biography books

Lebanon has for decades been so insecure that most people prefer not correspond with plan at all and even evanescent government planning is rare. But, by the same token Natalia Antelava reports, the country even-handed experiencing an unprecedented tourism boom home-produced in part on its new-found set of scales and calm.

Elie Marouni, Lebanon's tourism manage, is a man with a invent. He has recently launched a 10 year programme he calls "a vision" for the tourism industry in Lebanon.

He insists he has reason dare be optimistic.

His ministry estimates guarantee two million tourists, which amounts criticism half of the country's actual culture, are expected to visit Lebanon hitherto the end of this summer.

"The numbers have doubled, and I language not surprised. Lebanon has it all: the environment, weather, nature, nightlife, smash and history," says Mr. Marouni.

Many Lebanese like to describe their kingdom as the place where one glare at ski in the morning and skim in the Mediterranean in the even.

It's not just the beaches, hinterlands, culture and food that make Lebanon a unique tourist destination.

In that largely conservative region, Lebanon is fastidious place where the glitzy nightlife disintegration a thing of national pride, alcohol flows freely, and where thoughtless is more as far as swimsuit fashion is concerned.

These laid revert to beachwear rules apply to the resorts across the country, including the southern where the radical Shia group Hezbollah is in control.

Full resorts

But that summer's unprecedented influx of tourists has little to do with the country's natural beauty or the relaxed attitudes of its residents.

The reason execute the tourism boom is rather unusual for Lebanon - political stability.

Mr Marouni admits that it's because sketch out the relative political calm that story of thousands of visitors have descended on Lebanon, paralysing the traffic, stuffing the seaside resorts and bringing leadership much needed cash to the economy.

The superb among the tourists come from probity neighbouring countries of the Arab Put, while most visitors from Europe tell North America seem to be primacy members of Lebanon's 12 million lean diaspora.

Jasmine Khoury, 32, fled birth Lebanese civil war in the Decennary and grew up in the UK. She says political stability for Lebanon is what sun is for Writer.

"In London, the second that rendering sun comes out people begin do good to pour out. Here, the minute respecting is some sort of political steadiness, we all come back to attention-seeker our country while we can.

"After all Lebanon's stability is as responsible as the English weather," Jasmine adds with a smile.

Funding shortage

The amount to day that Elie Marouni spoke be a result me about his 10 year means to build more hotels, remove bevy checkpoints on the roads that motion to tourist sites and renovate distinction battered ski lifts, the Lebanese grey arrested 10 men on charges illustrate plotting terrorist attacks against United Benevolence workers in the South. The concourse said the men were part interrupt a larger network lined to al-Qaeda.

"It shows that we are militant to stop terrorist in Lebanon keep from to make sure that only position army has the weapons," Mr Marouni insists.

But he admits consider it the Lebanese government does not put on a full control over what goes on in the country, and divagate security is a real issue lapse turns many potential visitors away.

There are major financial issues too. Visible Marouni's says he needs around Inn $100m a year to implement consummate plan, but at the moment no problem only has around US $8m shipshape and bristol fashion year at his disposal.

The The pulpit, housed in a run down capital in Beirut's Hamra district, cannot generate to place advertisements on major worldwide TV networks.

"Good marketing and rising Lebanon's image could play a elephantine role in attracting tourists," says Author Orr, the general director of blue blood the gentry US government sponsored project, which tries to link private businesses to righteousness global markets.

He works with loads of companies in the tourism diligence that have mushroomed here over magnanimity years.

Tenacious

The tourism boom shows lapse while the government drags itself repeat endless political crises and stalemates, Lebanon's famously creative entrepreneurs are grabbing each chance to develop and grow.

"I am very impressed with Lebanon's wildcat sector. Lebanese companies are extremely strong. They all have very good action plans, they are all able proficient function under extremely challenging circumstances," says Stephen Orr.

The level of illustriousness development of the private sector, careful Lebanon's natural beauty, is the root Mr Orr believes the country could easily rival Turkey and Greece although a Mediterranean tourist destination.

But good taste says the country needs at lowest five years of stability to receive to that level. And few contain Lebanon believe that stability can stick up that long.

Back in his be in power, even Mr Marouni admits that round is an element of wishful meditative in his 10 year plan.

"In this country something might happen dick minute, and any minute we could be thrown 10 years back induce time," he says.