The surge in tourism activity in Batroun continues to act as a catalyst that spurs the real estate market in the northern town. At a time when large-scale conventional development work is still stagnant due to the lack of bank financing, renovation work is thriving driven by high demand for residential and commercial properties. Batroun’s tourist attractions have become a magnet for residents, expatriates, and non-Lebanese. According to the town’s mayor, Marcellino Hark, many people are attracted to it because for them it looks like a European Mediterranean city. He said that Batroun has the largest number of apartments and guesthouses in Lebanon rented through Airbnb. The town is also becoming a hub for brand names in retail, hospitality, and other sectors that are vying to get a slice of the expanding market cake. High demand has also resulted in high prices especially in the Old Souk area which is the charming jewel of Batroun and its main engine of growth.
Valorizing the charm of the Old Souk
The Old Souk, characterized by its traditional sandstone buildings, is classified as Zone A and is subject to strict regulations to keep and valorize the district as a tourist attraction. Hark said the Municipality closely supervises construction and renovation work in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture’s Directorate General of Antiquities (DGA) in order to preserve the town’s old sandstone structures and wooden fenestration (windows and doors). The height of a building could reach
