Tourism

Lebanon’s legendary hotels are forced to shut down as the economy falters

Beirut’s legendary Le Bristol Hotel survived wars, occupation and political crises - then this year’s financial crisis struck. The Grand Hotel’s closure trains the spotlight on a tourism sector teetering on the brink of extinction.

Hotel Le Bristol Beirut
The mountains of the Rif are best known for the cultivation of marijuana, but contain walking tracks with spectacular outlooks and unique wildlife. Rural tourism operators are trying to attract more hikers from Europe to admire the views.
Rural Tourism in the Rif Mountains

In Morocco’s Rif mountains, visions of a community-based sustainable tourism economy are being weighed down by hardships familiar to the region.

Holiday of a Lifetime?

Every year, around a million tourists visit the Maldives. As the island nation in the Indian Ocean capitalises on its dreamlike facade, the reality is a country struggling with its history, the dark side of tourism – and with Islam.

A man working on the coast