Lebanon received 191,129 tourists in August 2003, up 23.4 percent compared to the same period last year and up and seven percent compared to July 2003, reported Blominvest.
Arab tourists made up the majority of the country’s arrivals in August, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total visitors. European tourists accounted for 17.4 percent of visitor traffic and Asian tourist made up 9.2 percent of the total.
Lebanon received 369,916 tourists during the first half of 2002, a 3.4 percent increase compared to figures recorded from the same period last year. The tourism sector in Lebanon contributed to five percent of the country's GDP in 2000, compared to 22 percent before the civil war, which lasted between 1975 and 1990. Before the war, some 1.25 million tourists would visit Lebanon annually. — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
