Meet our experts

Nour is the founder of @guesthouseslebanon, sub-brand of Le Passport Culinaire of which she is the managing partner. Guesthouses Lebanon is a directory of guesthouses aiming to promote local authentic experiences throughout Lebanon. Today, Guesthouses Lebanon is a growing community where potential guests and hosts can learn more about guesthouses, guest tables and the rural development sector.



Guesthouses Lebanon is the reference for the sector on guesthouses and guest tables, working together with the Ministry of Tourism and the Syndicate of guesthouses and other stakeholders to update the guesthouses and alternative lodgings decree including guest tables. Moreover, guesthouses lebanon is looking out to partner with gites de france bringing in to the sector the different types of guesthouses and guest tables. And promoting the sector abroad . Nour holds an international master's degree in Rural Development, a BS in Agribusiness, and an Agricultural Engineering degree. Her approach to local development involves a multi-disciplinary framework based on close interactions between agronomic, environmental, and social sciences. She has around ten years of experience in development, rural tourism, socio-economic and value chain analysis. Nour has worked with many donors (i.e. GIZ, USAID, UNDP, UNIDO, and WFP) and organizations (i.e. G NGO, Tamayyaz, DAI, OXFAM, CIHEAM BARI, and Care International in Lebanon).

Founder and Managing Director of "Le Passport Culinaire" or The Culinary Passport, Marianne's passion for cuisine started seven years ago when she embarked on culinary and wine journeys to explore France and other parts of the world in search of the origin and authenticity of the products through the discovery of the land, people and cuisine. Whether flying to the Chateau or the terroir, the farm, or the Michelin-starred restaurants, Marianne invites everyone to discover this new way of traveling, where emotions, empathy, and food tourism redefine altruism and human talent. With over 202years of experience in the hospitality and Culinary Tourism Industry, she holds a CCTP - "Certified Culinary Travel Professional" certificate from the World Food Travel Association, a Master's degree in Culture and Tourism Engineering, and a BA in Hospitality Management.



She was the former Director of Food & Beverage at Hotel Le Bristol in Beirut. She is currently the Deputy General Manager at the Mir Amin Palace Hotel and a senior instructor at the Lebanese University at the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management. Marianne started the organization of the culinary and wine tours in France, to friends and relatives. As the idea took shape and popularity, Marianne, the founder and managing director of the club started proposing similar tours to Lebanese through tour operators and agencies in France. In 2018, Marianne sensed the need for similar tourism in Lebanon and started developing a network of local food ambassadors who would unveil the secrets of the land, people, and cuisine of the Lebanese rural and urban regions. This concept is baptised under the name “Tasting Lebanon”. An addition to the local tours she developed the idea of the tricycle with a mobile kitchen that will allow to revive the traditional culinary specialties to locals and tourists “Tasting Lebanon on wheel” is a tricycle, that can be ridden on the LMTA and other off the beaten tracks. Part of her culinary tech projects, she developed a social recipes platform connecting home cooks and amateurs to professional chefs. “A tasty digital space for food lovers”. 



Marianne established international partnerships with Air France, Lenôtre culinary school, Ritz Escoffier, the World Gourmet Society, the World Food Travel Association and other international companies that leveraged the position of Le Passeport Culinaire on the global scene.

Pascal Abdallah is a well-known expert in responsible tourism and sustainable development, with 20+ extensive experience in the sector. Holding an Executive Master of Business Administration in Tourism, Pascal is the Founder and President of the Union of Sustainable and Ecotourism Institutions in Lebanon (USEIL) and has played a pivotal role in the tourism sector by co-owning the first ever guesthouse in Lebanon: Al Rashidi Guesthouse. Throughout his career, he has actively shaped Lebanon's tourism landscape, leading initiatives such as the development of ecotourism strategies, training programs, and destination management projects. Pascal has contributed his expertise to various USAID-funded projects, serving in capacities such as Grants Implementation Expert, Responsible Tourism Trainer, and Destination Management and Marketing Organization Establishment Consultant. His involvement also extends to academic consultancy, where he has focused on mountain responsible tourism and co-written curricula for new diplomas. His commitment to sustainable practices is evident through roles such as National Consultant for the UNWTO, Member at the National Council of Tourism in Lebanon, and Ambassador for the Mediterranean Experience of Ecotourism Network.

Francesca El Asmar is a gender consultant with over 7 years of experience in Lebanon and the MENA region. She holds a Masters’ Degree in Gender, Policy and Inequalities from the London School of Economics and Political Science and has worked with various UN agencies and INGOs, in roles ranging from research and policy, to technical advisory and coordination, to project management. Her work also involves strategy and proposal development, training, as well as individual and organizational gender coaching and mentorship. Her experience and publications address women in conflict and displacement, gender and international development, refugee women’s decision-making power and protection, feminist activists’ experiences in digital spaces, women’s leadership, intersectional feminist policymaking amongst others. Francesca is a big fan of LPC and GHL, and has supported the team by delivering trainings and technical advice on gender mainstreaming in the rural tourism sector. Training topics included an introduction to key gender and gender-based violence (GBV) concepts and gender mainstreaming strategies for the tourism sector.