According to the Ministry of Tourism, the number of tourist arrivals rose by a yearly 8.61% to 955,813 by July. This rise was due to the increase in the number of tourist arrivals from the Arab countries, Europe, and America, which altogether took up 82% of the total number of tourist arrivals in Lebanon.
European tourists, grasping a share of 34% in total, grew 10% y-o-y to 324,797 by July. French tourists saw their number rise by an annual 7% to 83,758, and visitors from Germany and Sweden also rose in number by 15.9% and 19.97% to 50,286 and 22,110, respectively, by July 2016.
Moreover, the number of visitors from Arab countries, representing 29% of the total, increased by a yearly 3.30% to 280,196. In details, the number of Iraqi tourists grew by an annual 25.68% to 127,407, and the number of Egyptian tourists rose by an annual 6.15% to 45,394 by July 2016. Mostly, incomers from countries with political turmoil seek Lebanon for employment, refuge, or transition.
However, given the political insecurity in Lebanon, the number of tourists from the GCC countries, where the number of incomers from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE all registered annual drops of 35.36%, 38.68% and 71.89% to reach 19,223, 12,531, and 1,432, by July 2016, respectively.
American tourists, also increased by an annual 11.67% to 179,724 by July 2016. This rise was mainly due to the growth in the number of visitors from the US and Canada which rose from 83,057 and 56,185 by July 2015 to 94,483 and 60,702 by July 2016, respectively.
As for the month of July alone, total number of tourist arrivals increased 11.51% to stand at 232,708. Due to the Eid Holidays in the month of July, Arab tourists grew 14.65% to reach 61,764. The Iraqis grasped almost 50% of total Arab tourists, followed by the Jordanians, with 18%, and Saudis with 8%.
Cumulative Number of Tourists by July
Source: Ministry of Tourism