Despite Pre-War Driving Habits, Tourism in Post-War Lebanon Is Alive and Growing

By Marilyn Raschka

They aren’t in the tourist brochures yet, but buildings formerly occupied by the once-feared Hezbollah militiamen may some day appear on the list of tourist sites in Lebanon. As for the present, travel agency brochures stick to descriptions of Byblos, the Cedars, Jeita cave and, of course, the piúce de résistance of Lebanese tourism, Baalbek.

Two American tourists who visited these fabulous ruins in April said their guide’s patter provided more than they expected. With enthusiasm he pointed to “that building up on the hill” and said it was “filled to the gills with Hezbollah types.

He was referring to the Lebanese Army’s Sheikh Abdallah barracks which, until the early ’90s, were indeed in the hands of the Party of God. But no more. The army took back the barracks soon after the civil war ended in 1991. That was ignored by the guide. He wanted to titillate.

Hezbollah sites will probably become legends—something similar to “this is where Al Capone had breakfast.” But as long as it doesn’t scare away the tourists, it could work.

Swiss tourists dominated the scene the day I visited Byblos. A group of 45 listened attentively to their Lebanese guide. The Crusader castle of Byblos provides a wonderful spot for an overview of the seaside site which features distinct archeological layers ranging from neolithic to Ottoman. Fences, decorative deterrents, keep the tourists from milling around the ancient obelisk temple site and keep them from falling into the depths of the rock-cut tomb of King Ahiram of the Phoenician period.

Tourist sites have been spiffed up, but requests continue for the opportunity to photograph the more contemporary, war-linked ruins. Although most have been bulldozed, razed and eradicated, there are still photo ops in this department. If some are kept, these too may find their way into a brochure.

Tour groups, such as the Swiss I met, are here for a few days or an entire week. Tours usually include Syria along with Lebanon, and some also include Israel, Palestine and Jordan.

Many Americans come at the urging of friends or family members working in Beirut. At the American University of Beirut and other English-language schools Americans again are being recruited for the faculties. An American from Madison, Wisconsin showed her parents around over the Easter holiday as did a librarian from New York. “At first my mother was going to rent a car,” the Madison native began. But a quick survey of the town and its drivers convinced her it was better to leave the driving “to them.” Car rental agencies encourage car-and-driver packages which run about $100 a day.

Lebanese-Canadian pop singer Paul Anka, here on a concert tour in 1998, had much the same to say about the traffic. In fact, the traffic escapes no one. Or better put, no one escapes the traffic.

White-knuckled tourists taking time to look out the windows of their taxis or buses notice that stopping for a red light remains optional here, just as in pre-war days. Using a turn signal is apparently the sign of a wimp. Talk of excessive tailgating, lane changing and other traffic maneuvers invented by creative Lebanese will probably find their place onto postcards as frequently as any other tourist observations.

One U.S. visitor came armed with a raft of paper downloaded from search engines and Web sites. Despite the July 1997 lifting of the travel ban to Lebanon for U.S. citizens, the State Department still recommends “that only those Americans with compelling reasons…consider traveling to Lebanon.”

The State Department’s Web site also warns U.S. visitors to stay clear of three areas: Beirut’s southern suburbs, a predominately Shi’i area; south Lebanon, where Lebanon’s mostly Shi’i resistance forces and occupying Israeli army forces clash; and the Bekaa Valley, where Hezbollah continues its presence. But who would come to Lebanon without seeing Baalbek in spite of its Bekaa Valley location? There’s nothing touristic in the southern suburbs and the two sites of Sidon and Tyre are too good to miss and are relatively far from “the south” as defined by Hezbollah and the Israelis.

Most tourists will have a visa as part of their package. For those who don’t, a pleasant surprise awaits: the Lebanese-Canadian Bank at Beirut airport will change your money and sell you a visa. The rate for U.S. passport holders is $2 per day.

Statistics show a steady increase of visitors, although the two million visitors to Lebanon in 1974, the last pre-civil war year, may not be duplicated for many years to come. In 1992, the first year after the war ended, Lebanon had 175,000 visitors.

Only six years later, in 1998, more than 550,000 business and holiday travelers were attracted to Lebanon. As in pre-war years the greatest number, 39.34 percent, were from the Arab world. Europe provided 31.3 percent, and 10.73 percent came from what the source labeled as “America,” which presumably includes the U.S., Canada, and Central and South America.

When U.S. visitors start coming in greater numbers they, more than anyone else, should feel at home here. Beirut has two McDonald’s, one of which can make the claim to be the only McDonald’s in the world with valet parking.

It’s even possible that the man in line in front of the American visitor may be a Hezbollahi hungry for a Big Mac and fries. Hey! It’s time to move on.

Marilyn Raschka is an American free-lance journalist who lived for many years in Beirut.