Resorts in Lebanon remain empty Beirut – Riyad Shuman The president of Lebanon’s Syndicate of Hotel Owners group, Pierre Achkar said tourism in the country is at an all time low. He added that, “Every security incident that takes place in any ?Lebanese area, such as the explosions in Ruwais, worsens things, and consequently we are going ?from bad to worse, and from one difficulty to another”. The country has seen much violence spill over from the civil war in neighbouring Syria, between pro-government fighters loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and opposition groups, who are locked in a two year battle to try and topple the regime. However, he said he remains optimistic about the future. In a tourism conference on Saturday he said, “The tourism industry somehow continues despite security incidents in all their sizes and ?strength. For example, I will go to Baghdad at the beginning of the coming month where 100 ?thousand were killed recently, because the aim is to conduct businesses.” Ashkar said this month was supposed to see a peak in tourist numbers, yet he highlighted, holidaymakers were absent.? He said, “Not even one tourist is present in Lebanon.”