News
Anfeh Salt Pans - Sustainable Blue Tourism in Lebanon
February 2025
The Blue Tourism Initiative, in collaboration with its partner IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (IUCN-Med), is proud to announce the launch of its pilot projects in Lebanon, advancing sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean through innovative approaches at three exceptional sites:
- Tyre Coast Nature Reserve,
- Palm Islands Nature Reserve, and
- Anfeh Salt Pans.
These projects go beyond site-specific efforts, integrating conservation and tourism to address regional environmental challenges while fostering resilience and community empowerment.
Anfeh Salt Pans
Grantee: Friends of Nature (FON)
Project Title: Strengthening Tourism and Governance of the Cultural Heritage – Anfeh Salt Pans
Duration: January 2025 – March 2026
Dating back to the earliest Phoenician records, Anfeh’s salt pans have long been a cornerstone of regional heritage, once achieving commercial success for their exceptional salt. Today, these historic salt pans are vital for ecological balance and serve as an important habitat for migratory birds. This project, led by Friends of Nature (FON), seeks to highlight their significance while promoting sustainable tourism and community-driven conservation.
Project Objectives
- Preserve and Manage Heritage: Enhance the governance and management of Anfeh’s natural and cultural assets, including the salt pans.
- Boost Sustainable Tourism: Develop a vision for ecotourism that fosters local livelihoods and socio-economic opportunities.
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Key Activities
- Designing a Cultural Itinerary: Develop an engaging route that connects visitors to Anfeh’s rich heritage, including guided tours of the salt pans and key landmarks.
- Engaging the Media: Host media visits to share Anfeh’s story with a broader audience and boost its visibility as a tourism destination.
- Collaborating with Tour Operators: Partner with regional tour operators to feature Anfeh in their tourism packages.
- Building Local Capacity: Provide training to 30 local stakeholders to help them develop skills for showcasing Anfeh’s cultural and natural assets.
- Promoting the Story of the Salt Pans: Create a captivating video documentary and run a year-long social media campaign to highlight the salt pans’ historical and cultural importance.
Expected Results
- Broader Recognition: Position Anfeh’s salt pans as key tourism assets on national and international platforms.
- Enhanced Governance: Strengthen collaboration between local stakeholders and relevant ministries, such as Environment, Culture, and Tourism.
- Improved Local Skills: Empower local communities with the skills to develop sustainable tourism initiatives.
- Clear Development Pathways: Develop a roadmap for improved governance and tourism in the region.
Impact
Through this initiative, Anfeh’s salt pans will transform from underappreciated resources into central pillars of the area’s cultural and ecological tourism. By celebrating and preserving this heritage, the project supports community engagement, economic development, and the conservation of Anfeh’s unique identity.