The Daily Star - Chouf Cedar Reserve offers friendly ecotourism haven for visitors - April 20, 2011

By Maher Zeineddine

The Daily Star CHOUF: While international news from the Middle East is dominated by coverage of political unrest and revolutions, villages and towns in Lebanon are hopeful this year’s tourist season will beat even last year’s record breaker. Many who work in the Chouf Cedar Reserve, a popular tourist destination for domestic and international visitors, are expecting a surge in tourist visits this year, following strong tourism figures last year and in 2009. Still, those who depend on the nation’s tourist sector worry that the country’s current political standstill, in tandem with political turbulence in the region, could convince would-be visitors from the Gulf, Europe and elsewhere to stay away this summer. Industry insiders believe that there is a need to raise the country’s profile as well as distance political conflicts from the tourism sector, and implement strategies to strengthen ectourism in the country. According to Chouf Cedar Reserve director, Nizar Hani, since the reserve was founded in 1996 and made a protected area by a parliamentary law, there have been many projects to help conserve the area and boost ectourism. The nature reserve is the largest in Lebanon, covering about five percent of the country’s total area, and was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2005. Each year, tens of thousands of nature lovers and outdoors enthusiasts visit the reserve, which contains 25 percent of the country’s cedars and is an important migration area for birds. According to Hani, the tourist season reaches its peak in the summer when trekking activities are scheduled with local guides who are knowledgeable about the area and its history. Visitors have the opportunity to walk in the shadows of the famous trees, as well as visit the reserve’s surrounding villages where visitors can meet local residents, listen to their stories, and learn about the cultural heritage of area. Other activities that draw domestic and international visitors include hiking, trekking, bird watching, snow-shoeing, and star gazing. There are also various eco-awareness activities for school and university students. At the end of a hike inside the Chouf Cedar Reserve, tourists can enjoy a traditional Lebanese meal at one of the reserve’s five high-end eco-lodges located in the villages of Niha, Baatharan, Khreibeh, Maaser and Barouk. Hikers will enjoy traditional stews, appetizers and deserts cooked from local produce. Some of the eco-lodges such as the ones located in the villages of Khraibeh and Barouk are more than 200 years old. “The reserve, which is run by the Chouf Cedar Reserve Committee under supervision of the Environment Ministry, focuses on protecting natural and cultural heritage, developing the local community, and increasing its residents’ eco-awareness through various ecotourism activities,” Hani said. Hani also mentioned that the Chouf Cedar Reserve has worked in collaboration with the Italian Embassy and the Environment Ministry on forest fire prevention in the reserve and its surroundings through the creation of an alarm network. There are plans to extend this model of fire prevention across the country. Hani hoped that this tourist season would be calm as the tourist sector counts on tourists from different parts of Lebanon during the summer months. He stressed the need to reinforce and develop this important tourism sector by supporting it through all means possible. Hani was also confident that a decline in tourism was unlikely, citing a significant rise in tourist visits from 2009, when 40,000 visitors were registered, to last year, when 58,000 visitors were registered. This is compared with 28,000 visitors in 2004, while 2005-08 witnessed a sharp decline in tourism figures because of the instability in the country. For more information about the Chouf Cedar Reserve visit: www.shoufcedar.org