LEBANON - Tourism Crumbles as Conflict Escalates
Fears of a full-scale war in the region have increased following the back-to-back assassinations of top Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran and its proxy Hezbollah have vowed to retaliate against Israel, further destabilizing the region.
Several countries, including the US, UK, France, Italy, and Turkey, have called on their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately due to the risk of a regional conflict. The US Embassy in Beirut advised its nationals to purchase a ticket “as soon as possible” or to “prepare contingency plans” if they choose to stay and to organize themselves to “shelter in place for an extended period.”
This situation may further impact Lebanon’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism.
Lebanon has been suffering from a severe, multifaceted crisis due to a financial collapse that began in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Beirut Port explosion in August 2020. The local currency, the Lebanese pound, has lost more than 95% of its former value, unemployment has surged to almost 14%, with more than half the population below the poverty line, the banking sector has stopped lending and attracting deposits, and severe fuel shortages have occurred.
-themedialine.org, 8 August 2024
Arno's Commentary
Lebanon was once called the Switzerland of the Middle East. Tourists flocked to this beautiful Mediterranean country. The economy exploded, and prosperity reigned supreme. That is no longer the case. Real GDP per capita has gone down to $12,300, and continues to fall.
We must also mention that parts of today’s Lebanon are actually occupied Israeli territory. Regarding the future, the prophet Isaiah proclaims: “The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious” (Isaiah 60:13).
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
