Brand Lebanon

Beauty Alone Is Not Enough, We Must Erase the Ugliness

Lebanon is a country of unmatched natural beauty, but it is also a country drowning in visual pollution, political propaganda, and neglected urban spaces.

How can we expect tourism to thrive when visitors are welcomed not by breathtaking Mediterranean views, but by war posters, decaying billboards, and garbage bins overflowing onto the streets?

How do we sell Lebanon as a luxury destination, when Beirut, once called the “Paris of the Middle East” is now a city tangled in a web of electrical wires, political banners, and unregulated advertising chaos?

Tourism needs beauty, order, and charm. Lebanon needs to erase the ugliness that greets visitors at every turn.

The Ugliness That Must Be Eliminated for Tourism to Flourish

The Airport Road: The First Impression of Lebanon (and It’s a Nightmare)

A tourist lands in Beirut, excited to explore Lebanon. What do they see before they even reach their hotel?

Endless war posters and political martyrs staring from every wall, a reminder of conflict instead of peace.
Faded, peeling billboards from 2019, because no one ever removes the old ones.
Graffiti that isn’t art but names of political leaders sprayed across buildings.
Dented metal fences and half-collapsed bridges that look more post-apocalyptic than welcoming.

A country that values its tourism ensures the first impression is breathtaking, not depressing.

Beirut’s Streets: The Visual Assault on Tourists

Lebanon’s capital city should be a masterpiece, a blend of modern charm and rich history. Instead, it is a chaotic mess where beauty fights a losing battle against ugliness and neglect.

Politician Posters on Every Wall,  The same faces, the same forced smiles, plastered on every street, building, and light pole. Lebanon’s walls don’t belong to the country, they belong to politicians’ egos.

Electric Wires Hanging Like Spider Webs, Look up in any Beirut street, and you will see a tangled mess of power lines, illegal generator cables, and chaotic wiring that makes the city look abandoned.

Unfinished Buildings Covered in Dust & Rust, Abandoned projects that no one ever demolishes or restores. These gray skeletons of cement and iron rods have become part of Beirut’s skyline.

Billboards on Every Inch of Space, Lebanon’s advertising industry doesn’t believe in empty spaces or aesthetics. Bridges, walls, sidewalks, even traffic signs are covered with massive, cheap, and outdated advertisements.

The Endless Sound of Generators, As if the visual pollution wasn’t enough, tourists are greeted with the constant hum of generator engines, drowning out the sounds of the Mediterranean.

Garbage: Lebanon’s Never-Ending Scandal

Every successful tourist destination in the world prioritizes cleanliness. In Lebanon?

Overflowing dumpsters with no lids, lining the streets like urban sculptures.
Trash piles up on sidewalks, in rivers, and even on beaches.
Plastic bags fly in the wind like flags of national neglect.
The smell of rotting garbage fills entire neighborhoods.

Would you visit a country where stepping outside means navigating piles of trash?

Sponsored Bridges, Aesthetic Disasters & Urban Chaos

In France, bridges and public spaces are carefully designed to enhance a city’s beauty.
In Japan, cities are engineered with minimalism and clean aesthetics in mind.
In Dubai, every structure adds to the city’s visual appeal.

And in Lebanon? Every bridge pillar is a billboard. Every public space is for sale.

Sponsored Pedestrian Bridges That Look Like a Cheap Ad Placement, Who approved these horrendous ads on pedestrian crossings and bridges?

Commercial Signs in Every Direction: There is zero zoning regulation in Lebanon, so a luxury restaurant sits next to a mechanic shop, next to a fast-food billboard, next to a political poster.

Sidewalks Turned into Parking Lots: Walking in Beirut should be a tourism experience, but instead, it’s an obstacle course between parked cars, trash bins, and illegal kiosks.

How Do Countries That Value Tourism Maintain Beauty?

Paris: Strict Regulations on Billboards & Street Advertising

No random billboards ruining public spaces.

No politician posters allowed to deface the city.

Historical sites are maintained, cleaned, and respected.

Switzerland: Zero Garbage in Public Spaces

Trash bins everywhere with strict waste management laws.

Cities designed to be green, clean, and visually relaxing.

Turkey: National Pride Reflected in Every Street

Flags replace political posters, Turkey’s flag is EVERYWHERE, and it unites the country.

Clean, well-maintained roads leading from the airport to the cities.

Lebanon needs to learn from these models… NOW.

The Plan to Restore Beauty in Lebanon

If Lebanon wants to truly attract tourists, we need a national movement to eliminate visual pollution and restore our country’s charm.

Launch the “Lebanon Clean & Beautiful” Initiative

Ban all political posters in public spaces, Walls and bridges belong to Lebanon, not politicians.
Regulate billboards & advertisements, Stop companies from turning Lebanon into a commercial mess.
Create a special unit to enforce urban cleanliness, Penalize those who litter or vandalize public spaces.

A Strict Garbage Management System

Increase waste collection frequency, especially in tourist-heavy areas.
Place proper trash bins in every neighborhood.
Implement a national waste recycling program to eliminate landfill buildup.

Beautify Streets & Public Spaces

Plant trees and flowers in cities instead of placing concrete barriers.
Create pedestrian-friendly areas that encourage tourism and outdoor activities.
Enforce strict regulations on street vendors and illegal parking.

Remove War Symbols & Promote National Identity

Replace political posters with Lebanese flags, Let visitors see a nation, not a battlefield.
Restore old buildings and remove abandoned structures to create a cleaner, safer urban landscape.

CONCLUSION:

Lebanon cannot sell itself as a tourist paradise while looking like an abandoned playground of war, politics, and neglect.

Tourism is built on beauty, charm, and first impressions. If Lebanon wants to thrive, we must erase the ugliness, clean our streets, and create a country we are proud to show the world.