CHATEAU RWEISS ELEVATES LEBANON’S WEDDING INDUSTRY
Maria Boustany Abi Nasr, Public Relations Manager of Chateau Rweiss since 2008 and recently the brains behind the concept of Lebanon Wedding Destination Country has always been a fan of the wedding industry in Lebanon and after many years became a true believer that weddings are at the center of the tourism sector in Lebanon. A recent study done by Abi Nasr shows exactly why the focus of the tourism sector must be on foreigners getting married in Lebanon, as well as creating bridges with Lebanese expats all over the world to tie the knot in their home country Lebanon has always been considered a wedding destination, since its golden era. A wedding in Lebanon can be as simple as a cocktail in the middle of the forest to a glamorous gala - all of the trends are pioneered through the different perspectives of local wedding planners and venues. A wedding is customized according to the personality of the couple and the guests. Hospitality is always paramount, assuring the total comfort of guests, from arrival to departure. Any place can become a wedding venue from villages or an underground abandoned factory, to forests or beaches - any backdrop can be styled by excellent local vendors.
70% of the Lebanese wedding industry is made up of couples who are not Lebanese or do not live in Lebanon
Lebanese expats have chosen to have their weddings in the country they were born in, no matter how many years they have spent abroad. Lebanon has hosted the weddings of Lebanese couples from Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Australia and Canada who haven’t visited Lebanon in 20 years or more. This made the mission easy - focus on Lebanese expats. Lebanon also became known as the destination for Arab weddings from the Gulf, mostly Saudis, and Syrian and Egyptian couples chose Lebanon as their dream destination to celebrate lavish weddings. Lebanon has also hosted international weddings from destinations such as India and Russia. The highest spending industries are the Indian markets, which average around USD 10 million per wedding, while Saudi weddings average USD 1 million. Australians spend around USD 500,000 per wedding and Jordanian weddings average out to almost USD 300,000 per wedding, respectively, inside or outside of their countries, thus the focus was clear.
One of the main reasons people choose Lebanon to host their wedding is the touristic sites and trips they can take with their friends and family coming from abroad, visiting all of Lebanon in just a few days. This allows the hospitality industry to change the perspective of foreigners who might view Lebanon based on wrongful, exaggerated media. Another reason is the nightlife and the beach season. Lastly, the affordable prices that the Lebanese wedding industry provides compared to other wedding destinations around the world, in addition to the superior quality and service. This is why international wedding planners consider the country, a primary destination for weddings.
Why this initiative now?
Since taking on the responsibility of public relations manager of Chateau Rweiss eleven years ago and after being awarded the Best Wedding Property in the Middle East at the 6th edition of the Destinations Wedding Planners Congress, held this year at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, it came time to label the industry: ' Lebanon: Wedding Destination Country' - a destination for a unique experience that you cannot live elsewhere.
This is where Abi Nasr's motivation and enthusiasm played a big role in gathering the Minister of Tourism, Avedis Guidanian with industry experts to launch this initiative in Chateau Rweiss. During the event, Guidanian gave a big vote of confidence to the wedding industry labeling them ‘true soldiers in enhancing tourism.’ He also thanked Maria Boustany Abi Nasr for taking this personal initiative by publishing the study about the positive economic impact that the wedding industry makes on the tourism sector and by labeling Lebanon as a wedding destination. Guidanian awarded Chateau Rweiss for being the winner of the Best Wedding Property of the year and received an honor himself from Lebanon's wedding industry, represented by Issam Rafic Abi Nasr, the GM of Chateau Rweiss. A future press conference at the Ministry of Tourism will be held in the coming months to introduce a new association of weddings and events companies, under the Ministry’s umbrella with one main goal: promoting Lebanon as a wedding destination.