Lebanon’s tourism industry saw a major rebound last year, the World Tourism Organization announced this week.
Inbound tourism to Lebanon in 2009 rose by 39 percent over 2008 figures, with 1.8 million tourists entering the country of 4 million inhabitants.
“There are more and more [tourists] every month,” Daniel Eid, manager of the Eid Travel Agency in Lebanon, told
The Media Line. He expects the increase in bookings to continue in the coming year.
Lebanese Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud told local newspapers last month that he expects tourism activity in the country to grow by a further 10 to 20% in 2010.
Prof. Marcus Marktanner at the American University of Beirut said Lebanon’s incoming tourism brought money both directly and indirectly into the economy.
“By some estimates, tourism will bring $4 billion to $5b. directly into the economy, make up 13% of gross domestic production, and another [$]7b. to [$]8. indirectly,” he said.
Many of Lebanon’s incoming tourists come from the 14 million Lebanese who have left the country throughout its violent history.
Analysts warn, however, that the influx of tourists may be a double-edged sword.
“The situation is similar to an oil boom,” Marktanner said. “Tourism makes Lebanon a rent economy. What most tourists find attractive about Lebanon does not require any major investment. It is mostly sun and fun tourism, with very little sustainable spillover effects. During the summer months, tourism drives up prices and clogs up roads, which is a burden shared by all Lebanese.
“The positive spillover effects, however, are highly concentrated,” he said. “They go mostly to hotels, restaurants and shops in and around Beirut.
“Most Lebanese would probably appreciate if the rise in tourism would at least also bring about some investment into the improvement of public infrastructure, like better roads, electricity supply and telecommunication services,” he continued. “This would not only increase the fun for tourists but also... [for] Lebanese.”
Tourism has long been a critical component of Lebanon’s economy, as the
country lacks natural resources and years of civil war have hampered
the establishment of a significant manufacturing industry.
Prior to the Lebanese civil war, which ravaged the country from 1975 to
1990, Lebanon was referred to as the “Switzerland of the Middle East”
and Beirut was known as “the Blue City” for its architecture.
Lebanon’s tourism industry started to recover following the end of the
civil war but was hit again by a war between Hizbullah and Israel in
2006.
The recovery from the 2006 campaign took almost two years, and in 2008 the tourism industry began showing signs of recovery.