As one of the fastest growing economic sectors in Lebanon, the tourism sector continued its upward trend during 2018. Despite a 9-month governmental void and political uncertainty, tourism in Lebanon proved to be resilient, backed up by its reputation as one of the top Middle Eastern attractions for leisure. In fact, Lebanon ranks second in the Middle East when it comes to the sector’s total contribution to GDP, estimated at $9.3B in 2017, or 18% of GDP. However, Lebanon’s tourism was one of the main factors driving GDP growth downwards, as the slight increase of 0.87% in nominal spending, can be translated into a 3% yearly fall in real terms. Hence, tourism contributed negatively to the GDP growth during 2018.
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