Following years of troubles that have kept many visitors away, Lebanon is experiencing a resurgence in its tourism trade and tourism minister Elie Marouni recently launched a 10-year plan setting out his vision for the industry.
His ministry estimated that two million tourists were expected to visit Lebanon before the end of this summer with numbers doubling on recent years.
Lebanon is a country where it’s possible to ski in the mountains in the morning and swim in the Mediterranean in the evening.
In fact the beaches, mountains, culture and food help to make Lebanon a unique tourist destination.
In the largely conservative Middle East, Lebanon’s relaxed attitude is also a strong drawing point.
But the new found political stability is the big attraction which has delivered a major boost to the tourism industry and along with it Lebanon’s economy – the World Bank recently raised the country’s GDP rating from three to seven per cent on the basis of its banking and tourism industries.
Marouni’s plan involves building more hotels and renovating the ski lifts. There is also a high level of development in the private sector which is also helping to maintain the industry’s newfound momentum.
And to top an excellent summer Lebanon was recently re-elected head of the Arab Ministerial Council for Tourism, meaning it will head the body until the end of 2011. The decision was made during the UN World Tourism Organisation international conference in Kazakhstan.