Holidaymakers flooding into Lebanese village

Scores of Gulf holidaymakers, basically Kuwaiti and Saudi nationals, have been flooding into this mountainous village of Bhamdoun, a town 1,000 metres above sea level that was famous as a tourist destination during the pre-1975 Civil War.

History records show that the ancient Beirut-Damascus road station acquired mounting fame during the 1960s and early 1970s, as many tourists from various Gulf countries used to spend their annual vacations in this beautiful resort.

As a matter of fact, several tourists were loyal enough to visit their summer resort even after the start of the civil war in 1975 until the village was completely abandoned during the Israeli invasion in 1982.

After the Israeli withdrawal from Mount Lebanon by the end of 1982, some Christian factions, headed by the Lebanese Forces, provoked their Druze rivals commanded by the Progressive Socialist Party.

Clashes between Druze and Christian militias led to a massacre in Mount Lebanon with Bhamdoun having its share of the crazy war.

After militiamen laid down their arms in 1990, successive Lebanese governments strove to revive Bhamdoun and its neighbouring villages as part of Lebanon's effort to regain its pre-war role as a tourist and economic hub for the region.

For this purpose, the Lebanese government has established the Central Fund of the Displaced (CFD), which has pumped into the cities of the displaced more than $1 billion since 1993.

Officials of the CFD estimate that the fund would need an additional sum of $800 million before the return of all displaced citizens is completed. The CFD has been reimbursing families for renovation work of their houses.

The Lebanese government hopes that tourism will take off this season after a long delay that has been primarily due to the instability at the Lebanese-Israeli southern borders and the ongoing Palestinian intifada.

But the regional military and political situation seem ripe for an undisturbed season. Regional players also seem to understand Lebanon's need for cooling down the borders as the Hezbollah looks relaxed and on vacation though the resistance party might never officially admit it.

In Bhamdoun, residents have been busy trying to catch up with the expectedly good season. New shops have opened. Hotels have resumed their activities, while building owners have been racing against time in an attempt to finish renovation of their houses to be rented out to tourists at good prices.

"The average rent of a three-room flat in a residential area in Beirut is $5, 000 per year. In Bhamdoun, the same apartment might be rented out for $6,000 for a couple of months only," Joseph Harfoush, a real estate broker, told Gulf News.

Like the Lebanese government that expects an increase in its total number of tourists from 0.8 million in 2001 to 1.4 million in 2002, many businesses are looking forward to beefing up their budgets amid a recessive Lebanese economy burdened with its $30 million public debt.

Owners of local restaurant chains have also been eager to open branches in the summer village. "After Bliss House and Amouneh, I think Barbar will be opening a branch here soon," according to Ali Ali, owner of a four-storey building who claims that several restaurant managers have contacted him to rent his building's two shops located on Bhamdoun's main road.

The booming businesses in the villages of Mount Lebanon are promising a good season. Yet several residents have expressed their fears that such a boom will remain seasonal, therefore, unsustainable.

"In the summer, there are no electricity cuts whatsoever. For the rest of the year, however, we have a six-hour electricity cut," Ali said.