Glitz and Glamour: Beirut Reborn

Filed in archive A World Away on January 31, 2010

© stevendamron


It is perhaps the newest and oldest Mediterranean playground: Beirut
. Now twenty years after the end of the Lebanese civil war, and after a year without sectarian violence in the city, the tourists are coming back in record numbers.

Despite war and religious strife, Beirut has survived. Over two million tourists visited Beirut in 2009 - up 39% over 2008. In peak season Beirut no competes with Greece and Italy for beach scene tourists. Adventurous Westerns are rediscovering the city and the well to do from across the Arab world flock there.

That survivor mentality causes people to seize the moment - partying with passion, despite power outages and brutal traffic. "Beirut is like a Lebanese Babylon, where Arabs can dance on tabletops, swim in bikinis and kiss their girlfriends in public," says British journalist Warren Singh-Bartlett, a 12-year resident. In summer, the famous beach clubs hold their own against the playgrounds of Greece and Spain.

Call it a peace dividend. If the city remains peaceful, tourism will continue to grow. Between the beaches, the dining, the new urban development, and vibrant nightlife, Beirut's new found popularity is well deserved.