In addition to killing more than 200 people and wounding and displacing countless others, the Beirut Port explosion dealt a serious blow to Lebanon’s readily paralyzed tourism sector.
The blast leveled many businesses and shops and rendered restaurants, bars, pubs, and other on-trade businesses unable to operate. Consequently, numerous employees suddenly found themselves jobless.
In response, the famous British multinational beverage alcohol company, Diageo, has pledged $500,000 to lend a hand to Lebanon’s struggling on-trade community and, ultimately, help Beirut rise again.
Diageo MENA will disburse the sum to be distributed among bars and pubs located in Beirut’s most impacted area, the company said in a press release.
“We are truly proud to get the opportunity to stand by customers, partners, and communities in such difficult times,” Diageo MENA General Manager George Rbeiz was quoted by the press release as saying.
“This is unprecedented and at a scale that further demonstrates Diageo’s leadership and a clear expression of our values and commitment to Lebanon’s hospitality and tourism.”
Lebanon’s tourism sector, one of its most important, has seen a significant decline over the past year.
The economic meltdown, the political upheaval, the coronavirus pandemic, and the lockdown measures it brought, and, most recently, the deadly explosion, all played a part in repelling tourists and severely damaging the sector’s businesses.
