LEBANON - Lebanon’s travel and tourism sector has suffered a sharp decline in activity as the ongoing war continues to disrupt air travel and economic stability, according to the head of the country’s association of travel agencies.

Jean Abboud, president of the Syndicate of Owners of Travel and Tourism Offices in Lebanon, said in a statement that activity in the sector has dropped by about 80 percent.

Most travel agencies are currently limited to canceling or modifying existing bookings rather than arranging new travel.

Abboud said the downturn is placing significant pressure on a sector that has already endured multiple crises in recent years, including the country’s economic collapse, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the wars of 2023 and 2024.

He warned that a prolonged conflict could push many travel agencies into bankruptcy, forcing them to shut down and potentially leaving hundreds of employees without jobs.

Air travel to and from Lebanon is currently operating on a limited basis. Abboud said flights are largely restricted to those operated by Middle East Airlines, along with a very small number of routes run by Royal Jordanian Airlines and Turkish Airlines.

Abboud also highlighted the broader impact of the regional conflict on global aviation. Restrictions on Middle Eastern airspace have caused widespread disruption, forcing airlines and travelers to seek alternative routes considered safer.

As a result, ticket prices on some routes have surged by as much as 900 percent.

Since the outbreak of the war with Iran, more than 23,000 flights in the Middle East have been canceled out of roughly 36,000 scheduled flights, leading to the loss of approximately 4.4 million passenger seats, Abboud said.