The head of the Syndicate of Hotel Owners Pierre Achkar affirmed that “the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the global  rise in fuel prices as a result of  this war, will have negative repercussions on the hotel sector, and the operational costs for hotels.

He said that big obstacle lies in energy, because the hotel institutions are in dire need for this commodity, especially that hotels consume electricity 24 hours a day, not only for lighting but also for heating water.”

Ackhar said that “the cost of energy today constitutes 40% of the operating cost of hotels,” adding that this reality will force hotels to raise prices or shutdown.”

Achkar revealed that “more than 20 hotels have closed in the Metn region, and they expect more closures in the coming period, especially in areas outside Beirut such as Metn with the exception of Fakra and Faraya that are still witnessing an active movement, especially on weekends.”

Achkar explained that most of the hotels did not announce their closure, which indicates the possibility of reopening it if occupancy rates increase again.