SHAFAQNA– After two-year suspension of tourism sector in Lebanon, the government of this country has intensified its advertising campaigns in an effort to attract more tourists who bring foreign currency with them.
Lebanon, which has been experiencing a severe economic crisis since the end of 2019 and the World Bank considered it one of the three severe crises that the world has witnessed since the middle of the 19th century, is now witnessing the return of tourism activity, which has temporarily reduced the financial collapse.
Jean Beiruti, Secretary General of the Lebanese Tourism Syndicate Union, stated that the value of tourism revenues in the summer of 2022 has so far reached 3.5 billion dollars and is more than expected.
According to Beiruti, from mid-May to August 15, one million and 200 thousand tourists visited Lebanon, 70% of whom were immigrants or Lebanese of origin, while 30% were of various Arab and foreign nationalities. Among the Arab tourists, Iraqis are in first place, followed by Egyptians and then Jordanians.
Beiruti stated that the private sector was able to replace the government in providing basic services such as electricity, internet and other basic needs for the continuation of tourism in Lebanon, so that the cost of providing energy for Lebanese tourism establishments is between 30 and 40 percent of the total income, while This cost does not exceed 5% in most countries of the world.