Nizar Hani Christian Akhrass Thursday, 29 March 2012 Sustainable Tourism for South Lebanon درب الجبل اللبناني

About the LMT LMT profile: Trail distance 440 km Number of trail sections 26 Distance per section km Elevation profile 600-2,000 m Composition: 50% foot paths, 40% dirt roads, and 10% paved) The LMT crosses: 75 towns and villages 1 World Heritage Site 2 Biosphere Reserves 3 Protected Areas

About the LMT Association Lebanese Non-Governmental Organization Established in October 2007 Elected Board serving a 2-year term 150 members Dedicated office in Baabda, Lebanon LMT website ( Dedicated bank account (Bank Audi)

The Baskinta Literary Trail: a theme trail on the LMT Showcases the literary heritage of the region of Baskinta Stretches 24-km at the foothill of Mt Sannine Fully sign-posted with owner consent Four trained local guides provide full interpretation

LMT Strategic Goals 1)Local / rural development 2)Corridor protection 3)Education and volunteerism 4)Promotion and marketing

The LMT offers new opportunities for conservation Safeguards old and historic trails Connects trails to increase recreational value and attract more visitors Encourages environmental education (trail to every classroom program/ATC) Promotes responsible-, low-impact tourism incl. guesthouse accommodation

LMT and accommodation Refurbished 11 houses so far to serve as local guesthouses for hikers (green design) Trained local guesthouse owners on hospitality services and practices Lobbied the Ministry of Tourism since 2007 to formalize guesthouses (Decree 6298/2011)

Mtain Guesthouse

Baskinta Guesthouse

Qemmamine Guesthouse

LMT and local guides Trained 50 local guides (boys and girls) to become (self-employed) local guides Difficulties include pricing, dropouts, trail interpretation and language skills Recognition by the Ministry of Tourism is still absent (perceived competition from formal “tourism guides”)

LMT and hikers Generally, hikers in Lebanon (Lebanese and foreigners) have an affinity to nature Some regular hikers like to report environmental crimes and abuses (hunting, small fires, waste debris, etc.) to local authorities –green reporters Hikers are more likely to detect abuses than local / government authorities!

Annual LMT Thru-Walk (April 2009, 2010, 2011) 2012 strats April 1st 30-day journey Involving a dozen in nationalities 300 visitor-nights in local guesthouses Open talks with municipalities Extensive media coverage –The National Top 10 eco-destinations –Blog on –Video on time.com –Article in AT Journeys – July-August ’09 –Article in The National (Abu Dhabi) –Dozens of features in radio and TV programs

The clock is ticking… The LMT faces the following threats: New road construction Haphazard building construction Illegal quarrying Illegal waste dumping Forest fires and excessive logging ! Historic trails are disappearing

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