PANEL 3 -THE RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN LEBANON - NOUR FARRA HADDAD

BSEF PANEL 3
THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR
THE RELIGIOUS TOURISIM IN

LEBANON

Mrs. Nour Farra Haddad, Lebanon

August 3rd, 2019 - 10:30-11:40

Together we Strengthen the roots of our youth

The Bkerke Socio-economic Forum is an initiative of
The World Patriarchal Maronite Foundation for Integral Development.

All Rights Reserved



THE RELIGIOUS TOURISM IN LEBANON A
VERY PROMISING NICHE SECTOR:

OPPORTUNITIES, JOBS, INVESTMENTS ?

Dr. Nour FARRA HADDAD ([email protected])

BSEF Conference
3 August 2019, Bkerke, Lebanon

THE RELIGIOUS TOURISM BY THE UNNWTO

300 million tourists visit the world’s major religious sites
each year (one fourth of all international tourist arrivals)

600 million national and international religious and spiritual
voyages are undertaken annually.

The Religious Tourism is generating an economic impact of
about 18 000 million Dollars, representing a great
opportunity for the development of many destinations.

LEBANON HAVE IT ALL FOR RELIGIOUS TOURISM!

Lebanon, a very rich sacred geography :
Around 6 000 religious sites are scattered all around the country

Lebanon as a part of the “Holy Land” is mentioned 96 times in the
Bible. Prophets, saints and Jesus Christ along with the Virgin Mary,
disciples and apostles walked on its soil .

Lebanon “Land of Holiness” where saints lived and are identified until
nowadays.

Lebanon “Land of religious dialogue and interfaith solidarity”

Lebanon, a very rich evolving sacred geography

LEBANON “HOLY LAND”

"THOSE WHO ARE PLANTED IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD WILL COME UP TALL
AND STRONG IN HIS GARDENS LIKE THE CEDARS TREES.“ PSALM 92; 13



LEBANON “LAND OF
HOLINESS” WHERE
SAINTS LIVED AND
ARE IDENTIFIED UNTIL
NOWADAYS.

St Chabel is said to be the
Saint operating the most
miracles worldwide
nowadays

LEBANON “LAND OF RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE AND INTERFAITH
SOLIDARITY”.

You are my brother and I love you. I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your
temple, and praying in your mosque. You and I and all are the children of one religion, for
the various paths of religion are but the fingers of the loving hand of the Supreme Being,
extended to all, offering completeness of spirit to all, anxious to receive all

Gibran Khalil Gibran

RELIGIOUS TOURISM SHORT HISTORY
DEVELOPMENT IN LEBANON

"LEBANON IS MORE THAN A COUNTRY, LEBANON IS A
MESSAGE".

JEAN PAUL II, LEBANON, 1997

THE LEBANESE
MINISTRY OF
TOURISM
PROMOTING
RELIGIOUS
TOURISM

PRINTED MATERIAL
AND BROCHURES BY
THE MINISTRY OF
TOURISM

Brochures by the Ministry of Tourism : from a single faith
materials to a multifaith materials





Films by the Ministry of Tourism : from a single faith material
to a multifaith material

ARPOA WEB SITE BY
BALAMAND UNIVERSITY:
AN ATLAS OF ALL THE GREEK
ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS SITES
IN LEBANON

A BOOK COLLECTION AND
ANNUAL CONFERENCES :
RELIGIOUS SPACES
BY SAINT JOSEPH UNIVERSITY ,
BEIRUT

The Virgin Mary in Lebanon:
Books publication by the
Notre Dame University
An inventory of Christian
Religious sites in Lebanon

OFFICIAL LAUNCHING OF TRAVEL AGENCIES

SPECIALIZED IN RELIGIOUS TOURISM:

THE LEBANESE MARONITE ORDER LAUNCHED “LEBANON ROOTS” IN 2004
THE ANTONINE ORDER WILL LAUNCH “YOUR TICKET” IN 2007
EMMANUEL TRAVEL WAS LAUNCHED IN FEBRUARY 2013

The first meeting/workshop on
religious tourism and
pilgrimage in Lebanon

9 July 2010

THE CULTRURAL RELIGIOUS TOURISM UNIT (CRT) WAS LAUNCHED
ON THE 4TH OF NOVEMBER 2010 AT THE GRAND SERAIL, BEIRUT

The second workshop around Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage
in Lebanon

On 29 May 2016, the Ministry of
Tourism of Lebanon and the World
Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
organized jointly a roundtable to
explore the potential of developing
religious tourism in the area along
with an important event to Launch
Our Lady of the Mantara sanctuary
(Saydet El Mantara) as an
international religious tourism
destination.





16 MAY 2017: THE CRT LAUNCHED A WEBSITE : ‘SACREDLEBANON.COM’ AND
EDITED A BOOK ALONG WITH MAPS ENTITLED : “CELEBRATING OUR DIVERSITY”

In February 2018, the Minister of Tourism, H.E. Avedis
Guidanian along with the Minister of Foreigner Affaires, H.E.
Gibran Bassil declared, 2018, the year of Religious Tourism.

HOLY LEBANON
THE FIRST INTER-RELIGIOUS
BASED TOURISM APPLICATION

HOLY LEBANON Mobile App is a travel E-
guide, presenting the most comprehensive
database for multi-faith religious tourism in
Lebanon

UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION H.E.
MELHEM RIACHY AND THE MINISTER OF TOURISM H.E. AVEDIS
GUIDANIAN, LEBANON’S FIRST RELIGIOUS TOURISM APP, HOLY
LEBANON WAS LAUNCHED ON THURSDAY 7TH OF JUNE 2018





THE CONTENT (6 SECTIONS)

Religious sites
Holy Land
Rituals
Tours
Calendar
Useful information

In July 2018,
The Vatican
has placed
Lebanon on its
list of Christian
pilgrimage
destinations
for the year
2019 (after 12

years of
absence)

QUESTIONS

Are we ready to welcome millions of pilgrims?
Do we have enough guides?
Is Lebanon too expensive for the pilgrim’s
communities as a lot of people are claiming?
How can we develop and promote this sector?

The ‘CITY OF PEACE’ Qobayat Cross
The biggest inhabited cross in the One of the biggest crosses in

world Lebanon

MOUNT OF MERCY The Rosary of Deir El Ahmar
The biggest statue of Jesus The biggest rosary in the world

Christ in the Middle East The biggest Statue of St
Charbel in the world
The biggest tower with
a statue dedicated to The Cross of All Nations -
the Virgin Mary, Our Baskinta Cross
Lady mother of the Light
(Saydet Em El Nour)

Qobayat Cross
One of the Biggest
Crosses in Lebanon

The ‘City of
peace’ (IJdabra,
rural Batroun)

The biggest
inhabited Cross

in the world

THE ROSARY OF LEBANON

The biggest rosary in the world
(Deir El Ahmar, Bekaa valley)

MOUNT OF MERCY
The biggest rotary statue of Jesus Christ in the world

(Ghosta-Mount Lebanon)

CROSS MOUNT – JABAL
EL SALIB

The biggest statue of St
Charbel in the World
(Chabrouh, Faraya-
Mount Lebanon)

THE CROSS OF ALL
NATIONS

The biggest
illuminated cross
in the world
(Baskinta -Qanat
Bakish, Mount
Lebanon)

THE PROJECT OF
THE BIGGEST
TOWER WITH A
STATUE

DEDICATED TO
THE VIRGIN MARY

OUR LADY
MOTHER OF THE
LIGHT (SAYDET

EM EL NOUR)

TO CONCLUDE

Religious tourism can generate positive impact on local sustainable
development:

Barely affected by conflicts and safety issues considered as a
solidarity form of tourism
Reduce the tourism seasonality
Enhance and conserve heritage and resources in small and unveil
rural areas
Open and Allow investments
Create job opportunities
Outline new geographies

THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION !