Caretaker Minister of Tourism, Walid Nassar, toured Sunday a number of villages and towns in the northern district of Jbeil where some archaeological monuments and religious and tourist places were included on the tourist map, accompanied by Blat-Qartoboun and Mastita Municipality Head, Abdo Al-Ateeq. Nassar began his tour in the town of Meshmesh, where he was received by its mayor, municipal council members, and prominent dignitaries from the region. He visited the church of Mar Doumit, the church of Our Lady of Armeish, Mar Sarkis Monastery, and Mar Tadros Monastery. Nassar then moved to Lehfed, where he was received in the parish hall of Saint Stephen by the Pastor of the Maronite Diocese of Jbeil, Bishop Michel Aoun, and municipal council members. In his delivered word, Nassar thanked Bishop Aoun for his presence and warm welcome, saying: “We made the Ministry of Tourism a ministry for all of Lebanon…What we provide in terms of services to the Jbeil region, we also offer to the rest of the Lebanese regions, each according to its tourism needs and religious and temporal heritage, and everyone has become a witness to the work of the Ministry of Tourism…” Nassar called on the sons of Lehfed to “highlight the tourist attractions in their town, which are many, and to organize informative visits to them,” declaring that as a son of the Jbeil region, he stands by his townsmen in providing all support and assistance needed. He also revealed that “more than two and a half million expatriates have entered Lebanon to-date, and they constitute an important economic lever in these difficult financial conditions that afflict the Lebanese.” Nassar urged the Lebanese to adhere to their land and village customs, “as it is a dear capital resource whose value is known only to those who miss it.” Nassar’s next stop-over was in the town of Mayfouk-Al-Qattara, where he was received at the municipal building by its mayor and municipal council members and residents. The Minister thanked everyone for the warm reception, highlighting the importance of guest houses and encouraging the establishment of such houses in villages and towns because they contribute to the economic and tourism movement in every Lebanese town. Nassar later visited the town of Tartaj, the Monastery of Mar Sarkis and Bacchus, the Monastery of Mar Anthony, the ancient Church of St. George, and the Path of the Cross in the Mar Gerges Reserve, following which he moved to the town of Jaj, and concluded his Jbeil district tour by visiting Mar Lisha Church and Alyassa Village in Saqi Rechmaya.

Source: National News Agency – Lebanon