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27 . 09 . 2019
BLC Bank supports the Lebanon Mountain Trail and sustainable tourism in Lebanon!

Afqa, September 29, 2019 – BLC Bank supports the Lebanon Mountain Trail and sustainable tourism in Lebanon!

 

BLC Bank, the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA), and the local community, came together on Sunday, September 29, to celebrate the inauguration of section 11 of the LMT (el Aaqoura - Afqa), in the district of Jbeil, North Lebanon.

 

BLC Bank adopted section 11 under the LMTA’s Adopt a Trail Program. This section of the LMT connects el Aqoura with Afqa and follows majestic cliffs, climbing up to a high altitude along the ridge line and an area covered by juniper trees and orchard cultivation.

 

Under the program, the 21.4km section was deviated, cleared, cleaned and marked. Signage was also installed to guide the hikers on the trail. The program also supported the implementation of the LMTA’s Trail to Every Classroom program in the Qartaba Public School. Forty students, aged between 13 and 16 years engaged in environmental education activities at school and in the field. The education program also provided educators of four classes with tools for activities to raise awareness and conservation ethics about water conservation, cultural and natural heritage, promoting best practices among the young generation and future stewards of the trail and the environment.

 

Ms. Youmna Ziade Karam, Head of the BLC Bank CSR & Sustainability Development Group, explains that “we, at BLC Bank, believe that we have more than an economic role to fulfill in our society. Our partnership with LMT falls within BLC Bank’s long-term commitment to preserving Lebanese natural heritage and culture. It stems from BLC Bank’s firm belief as a responsible financial institution that the path to a sustainable future starts with preserving our natural resources through an all-inclusive strategy. By adopting this Section, we commit to play our part in raising awareness on the beauty and richness of our Lebanese mountains, supporting the development of our rural areas and agro tourism, all the while empowering the local communities.”

 

To celebrate the day, BLC bank staff, hikers, and participants hiked the extra mile, discovered part of the trail and unveiled the info panel in Mnaitra. Key notes followed, and the attendance enjoyed a rural reception at Guita Bed and Bloom in Majdel Aqoura.

 

“The sustainability of the LMT and the environment is a national cause and is only possible when all stakeholders are involved, and the private sector is one of the most important ones” said the LMTA President, Ms. Maya Karkour. “The private sector should be a major catalyst for sustainability in the country and the LMTA is grateful for the support of BLC Bank, a partner that shares the ethics of sustainable development and true change.” This support comes in line with the LMTA’s effort to protect the trail. On March 28, 2019, the President of the Lebanese Republic, General Michel Aoun, endorsed the LMTA’s Hike It Protect It Campaign. This gave the trail a formal recognition and a “National Character” and invited all stakeholders to support and promote the trail each one within its mandate.

 

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About the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT)

www.lebanontrail.org | Facebook: LebanonMountainTrailAssociation|Instagram: @lebanontrail

 

The LMT is the first long distance hiking trail in Lebanon. The 470 km path crosses 75 towns and villages from Andqet in Akkar, north of Lebanon, to Jdaydet Marjaayoun, in the south, at altitudes ranging from 670 to 2,011 m above sea level. The trail transects more than 75 villages and towns, one Heritage Site, three Nature Reserves, one Biosphere Reserve, and several Protected and Important Bird Areas. Since 2007, the LMT Association has been working to develop and protect the trail, and to promote a socially responsible tourism. The LMTA programs are diverse and are geared towards improving economic opportunities of rural communities.

  

For more information, please contact Mr. Carlos Bou Nafeh 03-167353 or Ms. Dalal Harb 71-214 795

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