One might argue that the economy had already been deteriorating, but we cannot simply ignore the impact of the 2-month protests on the economy.
According to Riad Breich, a front desk manager at Cavalier Hotel in Hamra, the protests prompted a lot of tourists to cancel their reservations during this festive season.
Occupancy at his hotel now stands at 30 percent only compared to last year's 100 percent reservation rate.
Most of the hotels shut down some of their floors to reduce expenses, while others decided to cut employees' wages.
Even at times of war, Lebanon hasn't experienced anything like this.
Don't you think it's time the protesters took a break? Not for the sake of our corrupt politicians, but for those whose survival depends on the stability of the country.
Lebanese hotels suffer heavy losses during Christmas amid nationwide protests - Xinhua | English.news.cn"
What are your thoughts? Do you think the protests accelerated the economic downfall?
Or do you think the current crisis was bound to happen regardless?