(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Despite Lebanon’s turbulent security climate and initial low tourist numbers, Lebanon’s summer season registered a thirty percent increase in tourism, according to Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon.
Pharaon announced the news during a conference for the World Tourism Organization for the Middle East in Cairo, Egypt on Sunday.
In a plan to boost tourism, Pharaon requested the establishment of a new Phoenician touristic route which would include Jordan, Tunisia, France and Lebanon.
The tourism minister spoke about previous initiatives aimed at improving tourism in Lebanon, including the promotional campaign titled “Live Love Lebanon.”
Pharaon also discussed the launch of a new website dedicated to exposing touristic regions in the country, particularly rural tourism.
Despite Pharaon’s announcement, several taxi companies and hotels hosted recent news conferences complaining of low tourist numbers and hinted impending bankruptcies.