Ferry line to debut in Jounieh

Larger tourist port underway

A tourist ferry will kick-off its trips from Jounieh Port starting June 15. The ship is a medium size vessel.  It can host around 200 travelers on board. The current Port is not able to host larger vessels.

The travel routes include Jounieh, Mersin (Turkey), and Cyprus. The trips will take place three times a week, according to Fouad Boueiry, Deputy Chairman of Jounieh Municipal Council. He said that a private company will be responsible for the ship.

Boueiry said that a new tourist port is underway. “Studies have already started, and fieldwork will come shortly after, in order to establish a larger touristic port able to host large ships.”

A previous decree allowed transforming the Jounieh Port to become tourist oriented. It has not yet been applied. The Municipality of Jounieh is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) to start effectively the execution of the decree.

The MoT will open an office at the Port, along with the existing offices of the General Security and the Customs to facilitate the trips of the travelers and provide them with all necessary information. Nada Sardouk, Director General of the MoT said that this office will act as an information desk and for logistics support. “Launching touristic trips from Jounieh Port is an idea launched more than five years ago, with the strategy of activation of maritime tourism,” she said.

The Ministry of Public Works and Transportation will equip and prepare a special travelers hall at the port.