Airline passenger news and views

In the midst of political tensions in Lebanon and the Middle East, the Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, located a few minutes drive from Lebanon's capital Beirut, declares itself as neutral zone by hosting a much unexpected flash mob. Indeed, as passengers and staff busied themselves in the airport's duty free area, a dance crew abruptly emerges out of nowhere and performs a mixed dance between hip hop and the traditional Lebanese Dabkhe.

Flash mobs are not new and, in fact, are increasingly used to create spontaneous entertainment in various public settings. However, live dance and music in Lebanon's national airport, which bears the name of its ex-prime minister Rafic Hariri who was assassinated five years ago in March, the same month in which this flash mob took place, is definitely radically original. The event took place on the 5^th of March, about 10 days before the assassination's commemoration day. The incident created major turbulence in Lebanon, the Middle East and the world and the month of March has ever since remained one of tension and apprehension among Lebanese rival factions.

This flash mob is part of a series of initiatives by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism to boost the country's tourism and upgrade its image in the world. Airports are surely a connecting point between home and foreign land and the performance's purpose was to entertain the airport's users in the aim of generating enjoyable and unforgettable memories for tourists to take home with them.

Although mostly known for being a 'party land', Lebanon possesses a range of touristic attractions. On the one hand, Lebanon boasts many natural sites including some of the world's biggest stalactite grottos, 130 feet tall cedar forests and deep river valleys. On the other hand, Lebanon's cultural facets are a major magnet to tourists, from traditional Lebanese cuisine to more historical spots such as Anjar's Byzantine vestiges or Baalbeck's Phoenician heritage. Finally, located at the verge of Europe on the Mediterranean Sea and offering easy access to its neighbouring countries, including Syria, Jordan and Israel, Lebanon presents itself as a link between Europe and the Levant.