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Figure 4.4.1 Nature Based Tourism Route Discovering Bekaa’s Land of the Sun

Inte

Mo

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MoInteInte

BaalbekA

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0 20 km0 20 km20 km

NatNat

BeirutDamascus

BikFaiya

Faraya

Homs

1A Tanail ConventDairy food, Agro Garden Hiking

1B Aanjar Umayyad World Heritage SiteArmenian Village andGoldsmiths SoukLunch – Fresh Trout

1D Ksara Vineyard Wine Tasting

1C Zahle Museum of Wine, Gastronomy PoetryWalking Tour

1E Niha EcolodgeDinner and Overnight2A. Roman Trails and Trails Mix Lunch Ecolodge

2B BaalbekRoman TemplesVillage SoukHeritage MuseumDinner Ras al Ein and Overnight Heritage Hotel

3A Ras BaalbekOud WorkshopLunch with Local Family

3B Old Qaa Mountain VillageHandicrafts demonstrationsHappy Hour with arak and dopkeDinner on the terraceOvernight in Rural Gite4A Hike up Qaa MountainConvent visit

4C Al Jord Eco ProjectCampfire and Bedu Tent under the Stars5A Mountain Hike CommunityVisit Overnight

4B Orontes River Picnic and Kayak, Hermel Pyramid

6A BcharreKalil Gibran’s Life & Deir Mar ElishaaHike the Heritage Trail & Village Life in Hadath el Jibbe and HasrounOvernight in Villages

7A QadishaVisitors CenterHike the Valley’s Trail to Deir Saydet QannoubineOvernight and dinner at Saydet el Karm Village

8A Holy Cedars WalkHorsh Ehden Nature ReserveLunch Ehden overlooking ValleyMar Antonios Qoshaya

City

El HermelEl Qaa

Ras Baalbek

Younine

Aanjar

Chtaura

Zahle

Ksara

Niha

Mashghara

Bcharre

Hasroun

Ehiden

Chekka

Al Jord

Cedar

International BorderInternational Road

Legend

City, Villages

Agro-tourism Resource

Accommodation PlaceCultural Tourism Resources

Eco-tourism Resource

Tourism Resource

International BorderInternational Road

Legend

City, Villages

Agro-tourism Resource

Accommodation PlaceCultural Tourism Resources

Eco-tourism Resource

Tourism ResourceSource: JICA Study Team

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4.5 Institution Building

A variety of institution building activities are included in this master plan. The proposed Bekaa Valley Tourism Development Council will be an industry umbrella group to improve the product, and to undertake promotional efforts as a force bringing the Bekaa Valley theme to the marketplace [package BK10]. It will serve as the key partnership mechanism having in its membership private industries of the valley and also representatives from the different municipalities. Tourism committees are to be created within the municipalities serving as branches of the council. These committees will get the benefit of some training enabling them to think as destination managers, so that they will improve the urban environment and collaborate more effectively with the private sector. Proposed projects, however, do not pre-suppose the establishment of the Bekaa Valley Tourism Development Council. They can be started by existing institutions at least in the initial stage. Package BK1 proposes a case of institution building at the local level within Baalbek city in which its tourism development committee receives training in project management and funding in order to then arrange grant funding for a variety of purposes to prepare the local population for tourism-related activities, and to promote the town so it draws upon the existing flow of cultural tourists to the Baalbek Qala’a, that currently bypasses the town. On a broader scale, package BK12 proposes the creation of a Run for Peace sports event by the municipalities of the valley, a joint effort to be coordinated through the valley’s Tourism Development Council that will establish a favorable image of the valley internationally. Another institutional proposal [package BK10] calls for the creation of a valley-wide Bekaa Valley Handicrafts Cooperative to benefit a range of crafts men and women through training in design, production, marketing and through development of appealing labels reflecting distinctive themes related to the valley. The cooperative is the mechanism designed to extend these capacities across different types of artisans, in all different parts of the valley. 4.6 Program of Projects

Recommended tourism programs and activities for the Bekaa Valley have been formulated as a logical consequence of strategies and considerations described in preceding sections. They have been combined into packages, based upon local and national development goals, market demand, and community supply including strengths, environmental and heritage resources. Recommended programs target existing and projected demand. Existing demand patterns ~ day visitors from Beirut, GCC/Saudi and Syria ~ are marketed to change from day to overnight visitors, spending more money in the Bekaa to benefit local communities. Important factors to most Arab tourists are good hotels and family and leisure activities: shopping, dining, hubble bubble, coffee houses, and traditional music and dance. These venues are strengthened by the proposed programs. However, Arab travelers, particularly from the Levant, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and UAE, are

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increasingly interested in cultural heritage tourism, and the programs also strengthen these attractions.3

The proposed packages below target existing and future demand through aggressive marketing and promotional strategies. New markets to be explored would include Russia and Asia’s new industrialized economies including China, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. The implementing framework in the long run would be the Virtual Museum’s Tourism Development Council, a public private partnership, of which the municipalities and villages (Baalbek, Qaa, Zahle, Aanjar and Niha) would have branch offices. Local branches would promote local public and private attractions on their own and also link to MOT through a public private partnership (possibly Lebanon Tourism Board), which would in turn link to national and international hotels, tour operators, travel agents, airlines, and other tourism service providers. The advertising strategy would link to Lebanon’s embassies abroad and the Tourism Development Council would participate, either independently or through the Lebanese Tourism Board, in trade shows and the international travel trade press (including Middle East Travel which is headquartered in Beirut). Table 4.6.1 illustrates the logic of the master plan, followed by project by projects description in templates.

3 Source: MOT, WTO, JICA Study Team Progress Report

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Table 4.6.1 Bekaa Valley Projects at a Glance Likely implementer Proposed Project Phase Baalbek North of

Baalbek Zahle Niha Aanjar Bekaa

Valley Prime Second Site Management

BK 5 Zahle Berdawni River Cleanup S X MU - BK 6 Niha Roman Site Management Plan S X MU GO BK 7 Aanjar Umayyad Site Management Plan

S X MU GO

Development of Attractions BK1 Baalbek Dancing/Theatre in the Park S X MU PS BK3 Old Qaa Handicraft Demonstrations S X TDC/NG

O GO/MU

BK3 Old Qaa Dopke Before Dinner S X TDC/NGO

MU

BK3 Old Qaa Sheep Sheering/Wool Festival S X TDC/NGO

MU

BK4 Zahle Annual Poetry Festival S X TDC MU BK6 Niha Annual Grape Festival S X TDC MU BK6 Niha Annual Harvest Festival S X TDC MU/PS BK7 Aanjar Annual Jewelry Festival M X TDC MU/PS BK9 Bekaa Valley Wine Classic S X PS TDC BK12 Bekaa Valley Marathon – Run for Peace S X PS MU/TDC

Tourism Related Infrastructure BK1 Baalbek (sewage operational) S X MU BK3 Old Qaa (sewage treatment) M X MU GO BK6 Niha (sewage treatment) S X MU GO BK6 Niha (road improvements, parking, signage for both) M X MU GO BK7 Aanjar Site (signage, landscaping, parking) S X MU GO BK7 Aanjar Village (signage, landscaping, parking) S X MU GO BK8 Aanjar Akhtamar (solar panel and drying platform) S X NGO GO BK13 Bekaa Valley Gateway (road signage) S X GO - Keys in Implementation Phase; S: Short, 1-2 years, M: Medium: 3-5 years, L: Long: 6 plus years Keys in the likely Implementer; GO: Government, MU: Municipality, NGO: Non-governmental Organization, PS: Private sector (Involved if an existing building owner or manager includes churches), TDC: Tourism Development Council or Committee, or Association

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Table 4.6.1 Bekaa Valley Projects at a Glance (Continues) Likely implementer Proposed Project Phase Baalbek North of

BaalbekZahle Niha Aanjar Bekaa

Valley Prime Second Development of Facilities

BK1 Baalbek Ras El Ain Trail M X MU - BK1 Baalbek Heritage Museum (adaptive reuse) M X MU GO BK1 Baalbek Heritage Hotel (adaptive reuse) M X PS GO/NGO/

TDC BL1 Baalbek Heritage Inn or Rest House (adaptive reuse) L X GO PS/MU BK3 Old Qaa Mountain Village Lodging (adaptive reuse) M X NGO PS/GO/M

U BK3 Old Qaa Visitors and Handicrafts Center (adaptive reuse) M X NGO PS/MU/G

O BK3 Old Qaa Mountain Trail S X MU - BK4 Zahle Visitors Center/Museum (adaptive reuse) M X MU PS/NGO BK4 Zahle Architectural Heritage Walking Tour S X MU - BK6 Niha Eco-Lodge with tent area, seminar room, café (new) S X MU GO/PS/N

GO BK6 Niha Trails Mix Agro-processing Center (new) S X NGO PS/GO/M

U BK6 Niha Roman Trail with Signage S X MU GO BK6 Niha Site Small Visitors Center (new or reuse) S X MU GO BK7 Aanjar Site Visitors Center (adaptive reuse) M X MU GO BK7 Aanjar Site Exhibition Galleries (adaptive reuse) M X MU GO BK7 Aanjar Village Souk/Goldsmiths Workshops (new) M X MU GO/PS BK7 Aanjar Water Mill Visitors Center/Armenian Gallery (reuse) M X MU GO/NGO BK8 Aanjar Akhtamar Agroprocessing (expansion) S X NGO GO BK9 Tanaïl Estate Museum (new or reuse?) M X PS NGO BK13 Bekaa Gateway Visitors Kiosk S X GO TDC

Keys in Implementation Phase; S: Short, 1-2 years, M: Medium: 3-5 years, L: Long: 6 plus years Keys in the likely Implementer; GO: Government, MU: Municipality, NGO: Non-governmental Organization, PS: Private sector (Involved if an existing building owner or manager includes churches), TDC: Tourism Development Council or Committee, or Association

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Table 4.6.1 Bekaa Valley Projects at a Glance (Continues) Likely

implementer Proposed Project Phase Baalbek North of

BaalbekZahle Niha Aanjar Bekaa

ValleyPrime Second

Capacity Building and Institutional Strengthening Measures BK1 Baalbek Handicrafts Cooperative (handicrafts) S X MU GO/NGO BK3 Old Qaa Mountain Village Handicrafts Cooperative (crafts) and training

S X NGO PS/GO/MU

BK4 Zahle Heritage NGO (museum and events management) S X NGO MU BK4 Zahle Pensions (tourism hospitality) S X PS MU/NGO BK4 Zahle Handicrafts Cooperative branch (handicrafts) S X NGO GO/MU BK5 Zahle Berdawni River (curricula and public awareness) S X MU - BK6 Niha Ecolodge (lodge management and staffing) M X NGP MU/GO BK6 Niha Ecolodge (environmental systems) L X MU GO/NGO BK6 Niha Agro-processing (design, management) L X NGO GO/MU BK6 Niha Roman Archaeological Site (site management) M X MU GO/NGO BK7 Aanjar Umayyad Archaeological Site (site management S X MU GP/NGO BK9 Bekaa Valley/Tanaïl (special events) S X TDC PS BK10 Bekaa Valley Destination (management virtual museum) M X TDC GO/MU

Marketing and Promotion of Local Tourism BK1 Baalbek Municipality Tourism Development Committee (TDC) (branch of Bekaa Valley Tourism Council)

S X MU GO/NGO

BK3 Qaa/Northern Bekaa Valley TDC (branch of Bekaa Valley Tourism Council)

S X MU GO/NGO

BK4 Zahle Heritage TDC (branch) S X MU GO/NGO BK6 Niha TDC (branch) and cooperative S X MU GO/NGO BK7 Aanjar Tourism Development Committee (branch) S X MU GO/NGO BK9 Bekaa Valley (to improve vineyards presentation) S X PS NGO BK 10 Bekaa Valley Tourism Development Council S X MU GO BK 12 Bekaa Valley Marathon (special events) S X PS MU/TDC

Keys in Implementation Phase; S: Short, 1-2 years, M: Medium: 3-5 years, L: Long: 6 plus years Keys in the likely Implementer; GO: Government, MU: Municipality, NGO: Non-governmental Organization, PS: Private sector (Involved if an existing building owner or manager includes churches), TDC: Tourism Development Council or Committee, or Association