# Beirut a top10 must visit city for 2009 - Yet Again



## Rabih (Feb 2, 2008)

After Lonely planet, Beirut also ranks in concierge.com's top10 cities to visit in 2009..

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*Concierge.com Releases Annual 'It List' of Top Destinations for 2009*
_Dec. 17
PRNewswire, New York_

Concierge.com, the online destination for inspired travel, today releases its annual "It List" predicting the 10 must-visit destinations for 2009. Locations on this year's list cover a wide range of traveler interests and price points. Bolivia is on intrepid travelers' radar screens for the first time, whereas Acapulco was glamorous in the 1950s and is once again on the upswing. The 2009 "It List" spans the globe: from as far as Beirut, Lebanon, the Philippines, and Vilnius, Lithuania, to as close as New York City, Utah and Toronto.

The destinations on the list are as follows:

-- Tel Aviv, Israel -- Bolivia -- Utah -- Acapulco, Mexico -- Vilnius, Lithuania -- Central Philippines -- New York City -- Rajasthan, India -- Toronto, Canada -- Beirut, Lebanon

"Each year, we comb the globe looking for the emerging places that will be on everybody's lips two years from now, so that our readers can get there before the crowds," said Peter J. Frank, Editor-in-Chief of Concierge.com. "The 2009 'It List' includes destinations at all price points and for all types of travelers, in the hopes that no matter the economic news, travel will still be a part of the coming year for those who love to explore."

The new Concierge.com, the online destination for inspired travel, incorporates original, interactive features on every aspect of travel; over 200 in-depth insider guides to top destinations around the world; a "Destination Finder" that enables readers to narrow down the perfect place for any trip; user-generated posts and reviews; over 80,000 photographs of hotels, destinations, landmarks, and more; a suite of interactive tools to help readers make smart travel plans; and a powerful search function to aid navigation. 

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http://www.concierge.com/ideas/hotspots/articles/500184

*The It List 2009*
Travel in 2009? With Wall Street and Main Street gasping, and paranoia rampant? Well, we can think of no better time to shut off CNBC and get a breath of fresh air. Each year, we comb the globe looking for the emerging places that will be on everybody's lips two years from now (and when, hopefully, better news in general will also be what people are talking about). This gives you at least a year to get the most out of these travel finds without fighting the masses. Some of our picks for 2009 have never really been on most travelers' radars (Bolivia); others places were once glamorous, lost it, and now are once again on the upswing (Acapulco). And some are always popular but have become much more accessible due to really sweet deals (New York City). Let us introduce you to the It List of 2009—the places that will make you feel all right about the world again.

Tel Aviv, Israel
Bolivia
Utah
Acapulco, Mexico
Vilnius, Lithuania
Central Philippines
New York City
Rajasthan, India
Toronto, Canada
Beirut, Lebanon





















Poor Beirut. In 2006, it was ready for its close-up after decades of civil war, until a fresh round of trouble hit. Now the violence has subsided and a more stable government is in place. Long dubbed the Paris of the Middle East, you could also call it a Lebanese South Beach for all the young and beautiful people cramming the streets. The turmoil certainly hasn't dimmed the famed, glamorous nightlife found at sexy Sky Bar (pictured), which just relocated to the top floor of the BIEL Center, nor at Crystal, where the trendy congregate for bottle service. If nights are spent in a bar crawl in the Gemmayzeh neighborhood, by day you can tour the wineries of the Bekaa Valley. For those less liquid-inclined (and more history-minded), explore the old downtown, Centre Ville, and the seaside promenade of Avenue de Paris. But where to stay? *Gordon Campbell Gray, the fashionable hotelier behind London's One Aldwych and Carlisle Bay in Antigua, plans to open the 85-room Le Gray in spring 2009. Its rooftop pool and terrace lounge, overlooking Mount Lebanon and the Mediterranean, will likely become the next nightlife hot spot. Meanwhile, the Four Seasons also has a 230-room hotel launching in mid-2009 steps from the city's marina.* The crystal-clear waters and white sands of Byblos (pictured) are a mere 20 minutes away, home to fabulous beach clubs like La Voile Bleue and the Byblos Fishing Club, where Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando once noshed. Of course, whenever you plan to head off to a former war zone, make sure to check for travel warnings. *But remember, you can't keep a great city down.* :banana: :banana:


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## Hebrewtext (Aug 18, 2004)

nice :cheers::cheers:

Tel Aviv at the beginning and Beirut at the end of the list.


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## LeB.Fr (Jun 11, 2007)

^^No one cares about the order


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

that's great for both our cities


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## hkskyline (Sep 13, 2002)

*Sunny times return for Lebanon tourism *
19 December 2008
Agence France Presse

Sunny times are back for Lebanon's tourism industry, enjoying its best year since 2004, though clouds may lie ahead if the risk of violence around the spring elections puts people off booking for 2009.

"The number of foreign visitors will reach 1.3 million people for the whole of 2008, the same total as in 2004," said Nada Sardouk, director general of the tourism ministry for the country on the eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

National carrier Middle East Airlines has done even better than in 2004, according to Nizar Khoury, the marketing director, who said: "We registered a 25 percent increase in passenger numbers in 2008" compared with four years ago.

"Flights for the holidays (the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha, Christmas and New Year) are full and many others could not make the trip because the hotels are fully booked," he told AFP.

Before its 1975-1990 civil war, Lebanon was the playground of the Middle East, generating up to 20 percent of its gross domestic product from tourism, according to the government.

It is the only country in the Arab world with natural ski slopes, as well as being famous for its beaches, history, restaurants and nightlife.

This year visitors thronged the country's beaches from early summer, encouraged by the relatively stable political situation since May following the Doha agreement which ended three years of at times violent internal disputes.

After the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in Beirut in 2005, the country has suffered a series of crisis.

One after the other came political murders, the destructive war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006, deadly battles in a Palestinian refugee camp in 2007 between the army and Islamists, a political showdown and violent confrontation in May that killed more than 65 people.

For hotels, restaurants and car hire firms, the relative calm of the second half of 2008 was a huge relief.

"The occupancy rate at hotels was 100 percent for the holidays, taking the rate to more than 70 percent in Greater Beirut for the last six months. It is a very good figure," said Pierre Ashkar, chairman of the hoteliers' federation.

"We are fully booked for the New Year with a very high waiting list," said Joanne Zarife, in charge of marketing at the Intercontinental Mzaar hotel, near the ski slopes in the Lebanese mountains.

"It was an excellent year," said Paul Aariss, president of the restaurateurs' association, noting that 360 new licences were granted in 2008 for restaurants requiring big investment.

This year also brought good business for car rental companies, with registrations jumping 50 percent for this type of vehicle, the tourism ministry said.

Another sign of a return to normality is that Syrian visitors are coming back, Sardouk said, after a big drop in numbers following the Hariri murder, which many blamed on Syria though Damascus denies it.

However, fears are widespread that any fresh trouble could reverse the rebound.

"The problem is that tourism is extremely vulnerable and the season can be written off on the slightest security incident," Sardouk said.

The situation in Lebanon remains uncertain with the approach of the general election and an increase in political tension between the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority and the minority led by the Shiite Hezbollah movement.

Britain last week lifted a warning notice to its citizens travelling to Lebanon but many other countries still regard it as a risky place to visit.

Even Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, which in February advised their nationals against coming to Lebanon, "have yet to change their opinion," Sardouk said.

"Next year, we already know that occupancy rates for April and May will drop to around 30 or 40 percent," Ashkar said.

"Foreigners realise that the situation is uncertain and say: 'We'll see after the election'," the hoteliers' leader said.

Lebanon is to try to offset the possible downturn by launching an international promotional project next week.


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## Deanb (Jun 7, 2006)

very good for Lebanon!

all the best 2 u


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## ZOHAR (Jul 16, 2005)

Wish the best to our Northern neighbour
Hope one day we'll have a bus from TLV to Beirut~


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