The tourism sector in Lebanon has been highly affected by the Russian-Ukrainian war and its resulting surge in oil prices, said the president of the country’s Hotel Federation for Tourism.

Pierre Achkar, also head of the Lebanese Hotel Association, said the war has negatively impacted Lebanon’s hotel sector, its operational cost, food, and transportation.

The main problem facing the sector is its lack of access to sources of energy, which it needs more than any other sector, Achkar explained.

Hotels cannot operate without electricity, he warned, noting that they need it for lighting and heating water.

He said the cost of energy now constitutes 40% of the hotels’ operating cost, prompting many hotels to either close their doors or raise their prices.

Achkar revealed that in the central Metn region, more than 20 hotels have closed down so far, expecting more hotels to shut their doors in areas outside the capital, Beirut.

He pointed out that most of the hotels did not announce their closure to the public, which indicates they could reopen their doors in case the situation takes a better turn.