Tourist Spending Rose by 7% by Q3 2017

According to Global Blue, tourist spending in Lebanon rose by a yearly 7% by Q3 2017, compared to the same period last year. The rise is mainly attributed to an increasing tourist spending of GCC nationals, specifically Kuwaitis and Saudis.  Similarly, on a quarterly basis, the occurrence of both Adha and Al-Fitr holidays during the 3rd quarter of 2017 prompted an improvement in tourist spending as it also increased by 7% y-o-y.

On a year-to-date basis, tourist spending by Kuwaiti visitors escalated by a yearly 45% by Q3 2017, when compared to the same period last year. Similarly, spending by both Saudi and Syrian tourists rose by a similar 22% and spending by Qatari tourists increased by 9% over the same period. However, Jordanian and Egyptian tourist spending fell by 4% and 28%, respectively.

During the first 9 months of the year, fashion and clothing accounted for 70% of the spending distribution by category, followed by 15% for watches and jewelry. In details, spending on fashion and clothing, watches and jewellery, and souvenirs and gifts witnessed respective rises of 6%, 5%, and 4%.

The regional breakdown revealed that 80% of tourist expenditures took place in the capital Beirut, while 14% were spent in Metn (Mount Lebanon). Furthermore, tourist spending in Beirut increased by 8% while it rose by a marginal 1% in Metn.

Yearly Spending Evolution by Area by Q3 2017

Tourist Spending Rose by 7% by Q3 2017

Source: Gobal Blue Tourist Spending Report

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