The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report Vol. 2 Master Plan Report

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1 The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report Figure Nature Based Tourism Route Discovering Bekaa s Land of the Sun 7A Qadisha Visitors Center Hike the Valley s Trail to Deir Saydet Qannoubine vernight and dinner at Saydet el Karm Village 4C Al Jord Eco Project Campfire and Bedu Tent under the Stars 5A Mountain Hike Community Visit vernight 4B rontes River Picnic and Kayak, Hermel Pyramid 6A Bcharre Kalil Gibran s Life & Deir Mar Elishaa Hike the Heritage Trail & Village Life in Hadath el Jibbe and Hasroun vernight in Villages 1E Niha Ecolodge Dinner and vernight 2A. Roman Trails and Trails Mix Lunch Ecolodge 1C Zahle Museum of Wine, Gastronomy Poetry Walking Tour Ehiden Chekka 8A Holy Cedars Walk Horsh Ehden Nature Reserve Lunch Ehden overlooking Valley Mar Antonios Qoshaya 1D Ksara Vineyard Wine Tasting Source: JICA Study Team Beirut Hasroun Faraya M o u n t L e b a n o n BikFaiya Al Jord Cedar Bcharre 1A Tanail Convent Dairy food, Agro Garden Hiking El Hermel Niha Zahle Ksara Chtaura 57 El Qaa Homs Mashghara Ras Younine Aanjar 0 20 km 3B ld Qaa Mountain Village Handicrafts demonstrations Happy Hour with arak and dopke Dinner on the terrace vernight in Rural Gite 4A Hike up Qaa Mountain Convent visit 3A Ras ud Workshop Lunch with Local Family 2B Roman Temples Village Souk Heritage Museum Dinner Ras al Ein and vernight Heritage Hotel 1B Aanjar Umayyad World Heritage Site Armenian Village and Goldsmiths Souk Lunch Fresh Trout A n t i L e b a n o n Damascus Legend International Border International Road City, Villages Inte Mo Inte Nat Eco-tourism Resource Agro-tourism Resource Cultural Tourism Resources Accommodation Place Tourism Resource City

2 The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report 4.5 Institution Building A variety of institution building activities are included in this master plan. The proposed Bekaa Valley Tourism Development Council will be an industry umbrella group to improve the product, and to undertake promotional efforts as a force bringing the Bekaa Valley theme to the marketplace [package BK10]. It will serve as the key partnership mechanism having in its membership private industries of the valley and also representatives from the different municipalities. Tourism committees are to be created within the municipalities serving as branches of the council. These committees will get the benefit of some training enabling them to think as destination managers, so that they will improve the urban environment and collaborate more effectively with the private sector. Proposed projects, however, do not pre-suppose the establishment of the Bekaa Valley Tourism Development Council. They can be started by existing institutions at least in the initial stage. Package BK1 proposes a case of institution building at the local level within city in which its tourism development committee receives training in project management and funding in order to then arrange grant funding for a variety of purposes to prepare the local population for tourism-related activities, and to promote the town so it draws upon the existing flow of cultural tourists to the Qala a, that currently bypasses the town. n a broader scale, package BK12 proposes the creation of a Run for Peace sports event by the municipalities of the valley, a joint effort to be coordinated through the valley s Tourism Development Council that will establish a favorable image of the valley internationally. Another institutional proposal [package BK10] calls for the creation of a valley-wide Bekaa Valley Handicrafts Cooperative to benefit a range of crafts men and women through training in design, production, marketing and through development of appealing labels reflecting distinctive themes related to the valley. The cooperative is the mechanism designed to extend these capacities across different types of artisans, in all different parts of the valley. 4.6 Program of Projects Recommended tourism programs and activities for the Bekaa Valley have been formulated as a logical consequence of strategies and considerations described in preceding sections. They have been combined into packages, based upon local and national development goals, market demand, and community supply including strengths, environmental and heritage resources. Recommended programs target existing and projected demand. Existing demand patterns ~ day visitors from Beirut, GCC/Saudi and Syria ~ are marketed to change from day to overnight visitors, spending more money in the Bekaa to benefit local communities. Important factors to most Arab tourists are good hotels and family and leisure activities: shopping, dining, hubble bubble, coffee houses, and traditional music and dance. These venues are strengthened by the proposed programs. However, Arab travelers, particularly from the Levant, Kuwait, Bahrain, man, and UAE, are 58

3 The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report increasingly interested in cultural heritage tourism, and the programs also strengthen these attractions. 3 The proposed packages below target existing and future demand through aggressive marketing and promotional strategies. New markets to be explored would include Russia and Asia s new industrialized economies including China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. The implementing framework in the long run would be the Virtual Museum s Tourism Development Council, a public private partnership, of which the municipalities and villages (, Qaa, Zahle, Aanjar and Niha) would have branch offices. Local branches would promote local public and private attractions on their own and also link to MT through a public private partnership (possibly Lebanon Tourism Board), which would in turn link to national and international hotels, tour operators, travel agents, airlines, and other tourism service providers. The advertising strategy would link to Lebanon s embassies abroad and the Tourism Development Council would participate, either independently or through the Lebanese Tourism Board, in trade shows and the international travel trade press (including Middle East Travel which is headquartered in Beirut). Table illustrates the logic of the master plan, followed by project by projects description in templates. 3 Source: MT, WT, JICA Study Team Progress Report 59

4 Table Bekaa Valley Projects at a Glance 60 Proposed Project Phase North of Zahle Niha Aanjar Bekaa Likely implementer Valley Prime Second Site Management BK 5 Zahle Berdawni River Cleanup S X MU - BK 6 Niha Roman Site Management Plan S X MU G BK 7 Aanjar Umayyad Site Management Plan S X MU G Development of Attractions BK1 Dancing/Theatre in the Park S X MU PS BK3 ld Qaa Handicraft Demonstrations S X TDC/NG G/MU BK3 ld Qaa Dopke Before Dinner S X TDC/NG MU BK3 ld Qaa Sheep Sheering/Wool Festival S X TDC/NG MU BK4 Zahle Annual Poetry Festival S X TDC MU BK6 Niha Annual Grape Festival S X TDC MU BK6 Niha Annual Harvest Festival S X TDC MU/PS BK7 Aanjar Annual Jewelry Festival M X TDC MU/PS BK9 Bekaa Valley Wine Classic S X PS TDC BK12 Bekaa Valley Marathon Run for Peace S X PS MU/TDC Tourism Related Infrastructure BK1 (sewage operational) S X MU BK3 ld Qaa (sewage treatment) M X MU G BK6 Niha (sewage treatment) S X MU G BK6 Niha (road improvements, parking, signage for both) M X MU G BK7 Aanjar Site (signage, landscaping, parking) S X MU G BK7 Aanjar Village (signage, landscaping, parking) S X MU G BK8 Aanjar Akhtamar (solar panel and drying platform) S X NG G BK13 Bekaa Valley Gateway (road signage) S X G - Keys in Implementation Phase; S: Short, 1-2 years, M: Medium: 3-5 years, L: Long: 6 plus years Keys in the likely Implementer; G: Government, MU: Municipality, NG: Non-governmental rganization, PS: Private sector (Involved if an existing building owner or manager includes churches), TDC: Tourism Development Council or Committee, or Association The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report

5 Table Bekaa Valley Projects at a Glance (Continues) 61 Proposed Project Phase North of Zahle Niha Aanjar Bekaa Likely implementer Valley Prime Second Development of Facilities BK1 Ras El Ain Trail M X MU - BK1 Heritage Museum (adaptive reuse) M X MU G BK1 Heritage Hotel (adaptive reuse) M X PS G/NG/ BL1 Heritage Inn or Rest House (adaptive reuse) L X G PS/MU BK3 ld Qaa Mountain Village Lodging (adaptive reuse) M X NG PS/G/M BK3 ld Qaa Visitors and Handicrafts Center (adaptive reuse) M X NG PS/MU/G BK3 ld Qaa Mountain Trail S X MU - BK4 Zahle Visitors Center/Museum (adaptive reuse) M X MU PS/NG BK4 Zahle Architectural Heritage Walking Tour S X MU - BK6 Niha Eco-Lodge with tent area, seminar room, café (new) S X MU G/PS/N BK6 Niha Trails Mix Agro-processing Center (new) S X NG PS/G/M BK6 Niha Roman Trail with Signage S X MU G BK6 Niha Site Small Visitors Center (new or reuse) S X MU G BK7 Aanjar Site Visitors Center (adaptive reuse) M X MU G BK7 Aanjar Site Exhibition Galleries (adaptive reuse) M X MU G BK7 Aanjar Village Souk/Goldsmiths Workshops (new) M X MU G/PS BK7 Aanjar Water Mill Visitors Center/Armenian Gallery (reuse) M X MU G/NG BK8 Aanjar Akhtamar Agroprocessing (expansion) S X NG G BK9 Tanaïl Estate Museum (new or reuse?) M X PS NG BK13 Bekaa Gateway Visitors Kiosk S X G TDC Keys in Implementation Phase; S: Short, 1-2 years, M: Medium: 3-5 years, L: Long: 6 plus years Keys in the likely Implementer; G: Government, MU: Municipality, NG: Non-governmental rganization, PS: Private sector (Involved if an existing building owner or manager includes churches), TDC: Tourism Development Council or Committee, or Association TDC U G U The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report

6 Table Bekaa Valley Projects at a Glance (Continues) 62 Proposed Project Phase North of Zahle Niha Aanjar Bekaa Valley Likely implementer Prime Second Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening Measures BK1 Handicrafts Cooperative (handicrafts) S X MU G/NG BK3 ld Qaa Mountain Village Handicrafts Cooperative (crafts) and training S X NG PS/G/ MU BK4 Zahle Heritage NG (museum and events management) S X NG MU BK4 Zahle Pensions (tourism hospitality) S X PS MU/NG BK4 Zahle Handicrafts Cooperative branch (handicrafts) S X NG G/MU BK5 Zahle Berdawni River (curricula and public awareness) S X MU - BK6 Niha Ecolodge (lodge management and staffing) M X NGP MU/G BK6 Niha Ecolodge (environmental systems) L X MU G/NG BK6 Niha Agro-processing (design, management) L X NG G/MU BK6 Niha Roman Archaeological Site (site management) M X MU G/NG BK7 Aanjar Umayyad Archaeological Site (site management S X MU GP/NG BK9 Bekaa Valley/Tanaïl (special events) S X TDC PS BK10 Bekaa Valley Destination (management virtual museum) M X TDC G/MU Marketing and Promotion of Local Tourism BK1 Municipality Tourism Development Committee S X MU G/NG (TDC) (branch of Bekaa Valley Tourism Council) BK3 Qaa/Northern Bekaa Valley TDC S X MU G/NG (branch of Bekaa Valley Tourism Council) BK4 Zahle Heritage TDC (branch) S X MU G/NG BK6 Niha TDC (branch) and cooperative S X MU G/NG BK7 Aanjar Tourism Development Committee (branch) S X MU G/NG BK9 Bekaa Valley (to improve vineyards presentation) S X PS NG BK 10 Bekaa Valley Tourism Development Council S X MU G BK 12 Bekaa Valley Marathon (special events) S X PS MU/TDC Keys in Implementation Phase; S: Short, 1-2 years, M: Medium: 3-5 years, L: Long: 6 plus years Keys in the likely Implementer; G: Government, MU: Municipality, NG: Non-governmental rganization, PS: Private sector (Involved if an existing building owner or manager includes churches), TDC: Tourism Development Council or Committee, or Association The Study on the Integrated Tourism Development Plan in the Republic of Lebanon Final Report