As Lebanon battles crisis, coastal city Batroun thrives on local tourism

A street vendor sells accessories and hats along a street in Batroun, Lebanon June 5, 2021. Picture taken June 5, 2021. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

BATROUN, Lebanon (Reuters) - While businesses across Lebanon are fighting to survive a monumental economic meltdown, the coastal city of Batroun is thriving as a tourist destination for Lebanese whose summer plans have been scuppered by the crisis and the pandemic.

Crowds stroll along Batroun's streets and visit its historical sites, others sunbathe on beaches and many drink their nights away despite the pandemic and their country's financial crisis dubbed by the World Bank as one of the deepest depressions of modern history.