TRIPOLI: Lebanon is experiencing one of its most successful summer tourist seasons in its history, welcoming nearly a million visitors to its shores since the start of the year alone. But while Beirut may be overflowing with tourists, so much so that a strain has been placed on its roads, water and electricity supplies, not all cities have been so lucky.

Hind Soufi, the president of Tripoli’s Tourist Association, estimates that only 2 percent of  tourists ever make it up to the “northern capital.”

This shortage of visitors isn’t due to a lack of tourist attractions. Lebanon’s second-largest city, and only other commercial port, also houses the world’s second-largest collection of Mamluk architecture and artifacts after Cairo.

Tripoli’s soap factories and souks are some of the best kept relics of the past centuries, and Tripoli’s magnificent citadel dates back to the times of the Crusaders. The northern city is also full of old churches and mosques, many of which are marvels of architecture.

Despite the historical sites located in their city, even the residents of Tripoli seem resigned to the idea that tourists aren’t flocking here in big numbers. When asked about the state of tourism in his municipality, an official from a branch of a Tripoli government agency responded jokingly; “Well, you know … It’s Tripoli. We don’t get many tourists here.”

Part of the reason for this is Tripoli’s economic state. While Beirut has prospered financially in recent years, Tripoli’s economy has been almost stagnant since the end of the Civil War. Soufi said she felt “helpless, really helpless,” when it came to obtaining funding from the government to carry out tourist initiatives. Nevertheless, millions of dollars are being invested in the city by prominent local private investors. One observer said these investors are very optimistic and expect “good returns,” precisely because the city represents such economically underdeveloped territory.

A similar problem, according to Soufi, is politics.

“The politicians are focused on tourist initiatives in Beirut, and Tripoli is forgotten as a result.” This statement echoes similar frustrations that smaller towns and even other cities, like Sidon, have made recently, suggesting that the “national” tourism strategy is focused almost exclusively on the capital.

Another deterrent for tourists is Tripoli’s conservative reputation. Concerns have been raised by some tourists about religious extremist groups, but many believe that these fears are unfounded. “These groups are few [in number] and don’t have a great impact on life in Tripoli,” says a Tripoli resident.

Political and economic concerns aside, Tripoli does receive a steady handful of tourists every year. However, these tourists often arrive in the morning by bus, explore the souks, soap factory, citadel, churches and mosques for a few hours, and then make their way back to Beirut before the day is over.

The visitors to Tripoli who actually stay the night are almost exclusively members of the Lebanese Diaspora who stay with family living in the city.

“A lot of our customers are Lebanese living abroad,” affirms a representative from one of the city’s most famous restaurants and dessert specialists, Abdel-Rahman Hallab.

The mix of day-trippers and Diaspora visitors means that Tripoli only has one international hotel that tourists, especially visitors from the West, can stay in.

The Quality Inn Hotel Tripoli, a four-star establishment, is fully booked this month.

“We have more tourists than last year visiting us this summer,” explained a representative from the hotel. Even so, the establishment only has 112 rooms; begging the question, is Tripoli even equipped to handle more than a handful of tourists?

The good news is that not all residents remain passive, despite the lethargic tourism situation.

Ten years ago, a group of Tripoli residents formed a non-profit organization called the Tripoli Tourist Organization. The group has organized an annual festival – bringing acts from across Lebanon and the globe – and in this year’s edition, the festival featured acts as diverse as local singers Fares Karam and Carol Samaha, to the Indian dance troupe Aditi Mangalades, and the children’s television character, Ghinwa. They also recently put together a permanent art exhibition. The exhibition, which can be found in Tripoli’s Chamber of Commerce, brings together many works of art depicting the city from across the world.

Another ongoing focus of the group is educating the residents of the city about its rich history. As a part of this objective, the Tourist Organization has brought many school groups from across Lebanon to experience the city, free of charge. They also plan on creating a guide that would be easily accessible to residents and tourists alike, supplying interesting background information about the city’s many mosques and churches.

Still, the Tourist Organization’s president feels like there is considerable room to grow.

“We definitely haven’t done enough,” she said.

Soufi is still eagerly anticipating future projects, such as growing the festival, restoring historical sites and the Rashid Karami International Fair, and even establishing an official museum for Tripoli.

Above all, she remains optimistic that Tripoli’s rich history and committed residents will eventually allow the city to grow into an important tourist center in Lebanon.