Fadi Abboud

by Executive Editors August 17, 2010

written by Executive Editors August 17, 2010

“I want to bring in the spirit of the private sector but the resistance of allowing the private sector into this ministry and any other ministry is beyond me”

Lebanon’s outspoken Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud tells it like it is and how it should be in the country’s tourism industry as he sits down with Executive for this exclusive interview. How much money is tourism expected to generate this summer? Tourism will contribute $8 billion in 2010. It [generated] $7.2 billion in 2009.It is a fact that the kind of tourist coming to Lebanon is a high-spender. We are not geared and equipped to receive what I refer to as ‘fish and chips’ tourism. This country is not suitable for a $500 per week tourist. The average stay is about nine days and the average [amount] spent is about $3,500. We get our numbers from Global Refund, the hotels and institutes. The numbers have been audited by the World Bank. You say that the Ministry of Tourism needs a bigger budget to attract more visitors from specific countries such

Executive Editors

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Fadi Abboud

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