Lebanon's Middle East Airlines airplanes are seen parked on the tarmac of Beirut international airport April 28, 2010. Pilots from Lebanon's Middle East Airlines (MEA) will begin a 24-hour strike from Thursday in an effort to claw back benefits they lost when the flag carrier was restructured in 2001, the Lebanese Pilots Association said. (Reuters via Daylife)Maktoob business magazine reports:
Travel and tourism in Lebanon will directly contribute $4.4 billion to the country's economy in 2010, representing 13.3% of GDP ...
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The [World Travel & Tourism] Council forecasts tourism will general $12.4 billion or 37.6% of overall economic activity in Lebanon in 2010.
Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud had requested an increase of $5 million to the ministry's budget that would be earmarked to promote Lebanon abroad, the report added.
He expected tourism activity to grow between 10-20% this year.
Citing data by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism, Al-Markaziya (via Maktoob) reported a 37% year-on-year jump in tourist arrivals for the month of January 2010 (from 77,300 to 106,000):
Tourist arrivals from Arab countries surged 47% to 49,300 from 33,500, according to the ministry's data, the paper reports.
Jordanians topped Arab tourist arrivals and they accounted for 36% of the overall number of Arab tourists visiting Lebanon and the French were the largest European tourist group [representing] 26% of the total number of European tourists, it adds.
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