Lebanon, expose those hidden gems

ENAR

In its 2018 “Lebanon Overview” report, the World Bank stated that “GDP growth in Lebanon in 2017 is estimated to have undergone a slight acceleration to reach an estimated 2 percent, compared to 1.7 percent in 2016. This has been mainly driven by the services and tourism sectors.” This year, GDP growth slowed again, down to 1 percent, and while tourist arrivals rose by 3.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2018, this was a marked deceleration compared to the 14.2 percent growth in the first half of 2017. Lebanon, it seems, still has a long way to go to recover the numbers it saw at its tourism peak in 2010. In light of the importance of the tourism sector, and the challenges it faces, it is about time Lebanon seriously considers developing a tourism vision and strategy. A cohesive tourism plan Developing a tourism plan is the first