|  Number of tourists to Lebanon reaches record in July -
30th August 2009
Number of tourists to Lebanon reaches record in July
By Dana Halawi
Daily Star staff
Saturday, August 22, 2009
BEIRUT: Lebanon is experiencing an unprecedented tourism boom this summer with a record number of tourists reaching 1,100,000 during the first seven months of 2009 compared to a total of 1,300,000 for the entire year 2008, said Ministry of Tourism General Director Nada Sardouk. “At the beginning of 2009 we expected to end the year with a record number of 2,000,000 tourists which appears to be very possible because until now, we were able to reach the total number we have achieved in all of 2008,” said Sardouk.
The number of incoming tourists to Lebanon totaled 1,085,778 in the first seven months of 2009, constituting an increase of 57.3 percent from 690,180 tourists in the same period last year, as reported by Byblos bank’s weekly report.
Sardouk said that this summer a very small percentage of Lebanese people left the country with huge numbers preferring to spend their summer vacations visiting various Lebanese touristic areas.
“One of the most important indicators for the success of the tourism season this year is the high demand for tours inside the country,” she said.
“Travel agencies reported a very small demand on trips to Sharm el-sheikh and Turkey this summer, and recorded a great demand by Lebanese expatriates and Arabs for trips inside Lebanon,” she added.
According to the Byblos bank report, Arab tourists accounted for 40.9 percent of total visitors and were followed by visitors from Europe with 24.3 percent, Asia with 14.7 percent, America with 13.5 percent, Oceania with 3.6 percent and Africa with 2.2 percent.
The record number of tourists reflected positively on the occupancy rates at Lebanon’s hotels which reached an average of 90 percent during the six months of 2009, according to the president of the Hotelier’s Syndicate, Pierre Ashkar.
“This is the best season in 15 or 20 years and this is due to the stability that the country is witnessing so far,” said Ashkar.
Ashkar believes that the delay in the government formation is not likely to affect the tourism boom which Lebanon is currently experiencing. “We have excellent reservation rates for Eid al-Fitr and the francophone games which are going to take place in September, and we are sure that hotels during Eid al-Adha are going to be fully booked as well,” he said.
However, Ashkar noted that the flow of investment is likely to be affected if the government formation experiences a further delay.
“Projects worth millions of dollars were already put on hold waiting for the new government to be formed,” said Ashkar.
According to the global consulting firm Deloitte Et Touche, Beirut achieved the strongest growth in revenues per available room or revPAR growth, not only in the Middle East, but also worldwide, up a staggering 124.4 percent to $117. | 
