by hoteliermiddleeast.com
Hotels in Beirut were incapable of achieving full occupancy for New Year, despite experiencing a relatively stable security situation.
“Occupancy in Beirut hotels stands at around 70% for the New Year while it reaches 70% to 80% in areas outside the capital,” Federation of Touristic Syndicates head Jean Beyrouthy said to local media. “However, mountain hotels saw a drop in business due to the absence of snow,” he added.
Beyrouthy claimed that Lebanon could have attracted a greater number of tourists this year because of the relatively stable security situation it has experienced compared to others in the region. He added that only a few hotels managed to reach full occupancy this year, attributing success to their own exisiting clients or because of their special locations within the city.
Beyrouthy suggested lower than expected reservations in Beirut hotels were in part due to the bad image broadcast by the media surrounding recent political events.
Le Gray director of sales and marketing Hilal Saade said that most of the reservations this year came from Europeans, Kuwaitis and Indians.
“We are trying to penetrate the Indian market in a bid to make up for the loss of tourists from the Gulf,” he said.
“Indians have a very good financial capability and it would be interesting to invite them to the country.”
Riviera Hotel director of sales Maysa Jouneh reported a full occupancy at her hotel from 28 December to 1 January, but added that low rates were introduced in a bid to reach full occupancy.
Jouneh added that most clients came from Iraq, Egypt and Syria, while Europeans were absent during this festive season.
“A few years ago, I was able to achieve 100% occupancy from 28 December to 3 January but this is not the case anymore,” said Le Cavalier Hotel sales and marketing manager Ayman Nasreddine.
All hotels interviewed by local media said they expect January to witness some corporate reservations, suggesting hotels depend on corporate demand outside the festive seasons to be able to survive.
