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.
Tourism
In Morocco’s Rif mountains, visions of a community-based sustainable tourism economy are being weighed down by hardships familiar to the region.
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.
With construction underway on Istanbul’s third airport, nearby villagers wonder whether the environmental cost of creating new jobs is too high.