LIMS organized a series of mentorship meetings for participants from the region of Tripoli, attending the Youth Activism for Lebanese Accountability (YALA) program. During this phase, participants brainstormed over an advocacy campaign and decided to address Tripoli’s inability in attracting tourists. They identified the unique cultural, historical, and touristic sites of the city and yet concluded that the “Ahla Bhal Talli” initiative, launched by the Ministry of Tourism, would be unable to benefit Tripoli. The city suffers from a security risk perception, a garbage problem polluting the main touristic attractions and a lack of suitable accommodation options. Those drawbacks exclude Tripoli from the national tourism framework.

Participants decided to conduct an advocacy campaign targeting Tripoli’s members of parliament (MPs) to convince them to (1) work with the Ministry of Interior on enhancing the city’s safety and security, (2) follow up with local authorities on ensuring touristic sites are clean, and (3) request from the relevant ministries to allow re-opening the Quality Inn Hotel at Rashid Karami Exhibition Center.

Moreover, the advocacy campaign would include an awareness campaign highlighting Tripoli’s cultural and historical sites and unique qualities. Participants named their awareness campaign “Ahla Bhal Talli in Tripoli”, adding “in Tripoli” to the ministry’s slogan. The campaign’s purpose is to prove that Tripoli needs special attention and one size fit all polices are unsuitable. Also, this campaign includes organizing a rally at Rashid Karami Exhibition Center, where participants will voice their demands to their MPs and try to obtain their engagement in favor of the suggested polices.