Tuk-tuks, golf carts, old sandstone buildings, nightlife, and lemonade – and crowds of tourists. You are in Batroun. A thriving business hub for hospitality anchored in history, location, and renovation. It enjoys alluring features that include sandstone traditional buildings, historical sites, and a clean beach. Its countryside is rich in historical and religious sites and other attractions. The town’s small size is another major asset as it allows visitors to explore it by foot. Its identity and the collaboration of its various stakeholders have succeeded in turning Batroun into the business success that it is today.
Adequate infrastructure for an ideal tourist town
The town’s mayor said that the Municipality started focusing on exploiting and valorizing the Old Souk as a valuable asset more than 20 years ago. “The Old Souk is unique. It has the largest cluster of sandstone buildings on the Lebanese coast,” he said. In 2015, a master plan was adopted, following 12 years of studies. Zoning came first, followed by, Chairman of the Batroun Traders Association, Batroun is relatively more expensive than other areas because it offers better value to visitors such as adequate street lighting, clean districts, and the availability of a security personnel. This requires additional municipal taxes which are assumed by local businesses, he said.
