Summer in Lebanon: heaven for tourists, hell for locals

Summer in Lebanon: heaven for tourists, hell for locals
Lebanese youths are forced to endure power and water shortages, while tourists revel in their beautiful country, says Ahmad Yasseen.
2 min read
07 May, 2015
In summer the Lebanese either live in pools or bake in the heat [Getty]

Summers in Lebanon have a special flavour. Nights in Beirut turn into days, tourists are everywhere, and festivals and concerts light up every city.

The Lebanese ministry of tourism likes to promote the country in summer as heaven on earth. But are summers in Lebanon really not to be missed?

The image promoted by the government concentrates on a few oases in a desert of problems.

Lebanon offers summer visitors a unique opportunity: they can swim in the sea during the day and camp in the mountains at night. They can party until dawn and then immerse themselves in Roman and Greek history at archeological sites in Baalbeck, Byblos and Anjar, among others. They can sample Lebanese cuisine which the country is so proud of.

     About 70 percent of Lebanese are forced to endure power cuts and water shortages.


The youth of Lebanon wish they were summer visitors in their own country so they could see or experience things they have never seen, even though they are only a stone's throw away.

There are three types of Lebanese youth in the summer: those who forget their worries by going to cafes and beaches, those who travel abroad; and those who work in cafes and hotels or as tourist guides.

The last type are mainly university students saving up to pay their tuition fees. Since 2012 they have faced serious competition from workers arriving from war-torn neighbouring countries.

Summer is a synonym of suffering for about 70 percent of Lebanese who are forced to endure power cuts and water shortages.

Visitors will see the Lebanese on their roofs filling their tanks with water, as they are fleeced by owners of water tank containers. Despite the relatively high levels of rain, the state protects the tank container "mafia" instead of building dams. 

The Lebanese are also forced to endure power cuts so tourist areas have full coverage. The Lebanese youth can either live in pools and rivers or baking in the heat. It is 2015, yet we still suffer power cuts. Although saying "power cut" is optimistic because it implies there is power in the first place.

Whether or not summer comes, little changes for the poor. There will be no overseas travel. Their only trips will be to look for work locally. As for the wealthy and summer visitors, we can only wish them a fantastic holiday in a fantastic country, built on nothing but contradictions.

This article is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.