According to British tour operators, the Lebanese government is not investing in a properly funded marketing drive unlike Egypt, Jordan and the Gulf states. They complain that there is no Lebanese tourism office in London to provide essential back up for tour operators who have little incentive to sell the country, and there is no financial support for advertising, brochure production and other kinds of promotion – in contrast to support offered by competing destinations. The situation is exacerbated by costly visas, airport taxes, a lack of press coverage and the inflexible pricing of airline tickets. Last year’s announcement by the Lebanese tourism ministry that the country received over one million arrivals in 2003, is to be applauded. But to talk of a truly international tourism revival seems premature, as the industry appears to be recovering old markets in attracting Gulf Arabs and expatriates – rather than winning new ones.
