BOMBS OVER SKIING: Middle East crisis stalls Lebanese ski tours
Though violence will unlikely reach the resort, tour groups would fly into the Beirut airport and briefly stay in the city. Aside from the extensive damage already suffered by the city and its people, all three runways of the airport have suffered damage from bombings.
The resort, just an hour from the airport, sits above the treeline at 6,600 feet and rises to 8,135 feet. Crystal advertised the tour as an alternative to the steep peaks of the Alps, offering slopes that Telsnig described as rolling sand dunes covered in snow.
But in the search for new places to ski, Faraya Mzaar has recently gained its share of credit.
“We at crystal are a pioneer in skiing for the UK market and after introducing other places, we thought Lebanon would be great as well,” says Telsnig. “It has fantastic skiing combined with a bit of culture.”
But the chances outsiders will experience this unlikely ski tourism candidate anytime soon are improbable. As the violence has killed and displaced thousands and caused millions in infrastructure damage, the Middle East as a place of strife, continues to prevail over the Middle East as a ski tourist destination.