Economy of Lebanon |
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Overview |
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The tourism industry in Lebanon has been important to the local economy historically and comprises a major source of revenue for the country.
From Stone Age settlements to Phoenician city-states, Roman temples to rock-cut hermitages, Crusader castles to Mamluk mosques and Ottoman hammams, the country's many historical landmarks and archaeological sites reflect thousands of years of world history. [1] In addition to physical attractions, Lebanon has a long-standing history of cultural tourism. Outsider interest in Lebanese culture was especially stirred following the visits of many European orientalists, scholars, and poets, particularly Alphonse de Lamartine, Ernest Renan, and Victor Guérin. [2] [3] Prior to the Lebanese Civil War, Lebanon was regarded as "The Switzerland of the Middle East", [4] and Beirut was referred to as "The Paris of the Middle East", [5] [6] [7] renowned as a financial and business hub.
Significant private investment is currently being made in the modernization and expansion of the tourism sector, such as in hotels catering to international travelers. Casino du Liban, which historically constituted a major tourist destination, reopened in 1996.[ citation needed ] The largest ski resort in the country has been expanded and modernized. Lebanon's tourism industry also relies on the large number of Lebanese living abroad, who return regularly to the country during the summer season. [8]
Old towns still form the center or core of many Lebanese cities and towns. The majority of these old towns dot the coastline of Lebanon, with only a small number of them found in the country's interior. This reflects the nature of the Lebanese people who were a maritime culture largely involved in trade and commerce.
Other major museums:
Located in the heart of two major world religions, Christianity and Islam, Lebanon has an old and rich religious background with diverse traditions. This is evident in the religious and multicultural blend that can be seen till present times and which gives a unique identity to the Lebanese society. Lebanon has been a refuge for persecuted religious groups for thousands of years, thus adding a vast amount of religious heritage to the country in both Christian and Islamic sanctuaries and holy places. [13]
Inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984, Anjar was a commercial center for Levantine trade routes. [14] Being only 1,300 years old, Anjar is one of Lebanon's newer archaeological sites. [15] It was founded by the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abdel Malek (in the beginning of the 8th century) and takes its name from the Arabic Ain Gerrah meaning "the source of Gerrah", related to the Umayyad stronghold founded in the same era. [14] [16] The city's wide avenues are lined with mosques, palaces, baths, storehouses, and residences. The city ruins cover 114,000 square meters and are surrounded by large, fortified stone walls, over two meters thick and seven meters high. The rectangular city design is based on Roman city planning and architecture, with stonework and other features borrowed from the Byzantines. Two large avenues – the 20-meter-wide Cardo Maximus, running north to south, and the Decumanus Maximus, running east to west – divide the city into four quadrants. At the crossroads in the center of the city, four great tetrapylons mark the four corners of the intersection. [15]
During the Phoenician era, Baalbek was a small village. Little remains of the Phoenician structures of the city, which was later named Heliopolis under the Hellenistic rule and extensively rebuilt by the Romans. After the arrival of the Romans to Phoenicia in 64 B.C., the city was transformed to a celebrated sanctuary where (Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury) and it was overlaid during a period of two centuries by a series of colossal temples. [17] [18] Modern-day visitors to Baalbek can enter the site through the grand Roman propylaea and walk through the two large colonnaded courtyards to reach the complex's great temples:
Baalbek was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984. [20]
Byblos was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984. Inhabited since the Neolithic age, it witnessed the arrival of successive civilizations, from Phoenicians and Crusaders to Ottoman Turks. Byblos is a historical Mediterranean region dating back thousands of years and closely associated with the spread of the Phoenician alphabet. [21]
The main touristic sites in Byblos:
Inscribed as a world heritage site in 1998, the Qadisha Valley and Cedars Forest (also known as the Forest of the Cedars of God) are considered to be of significant importance. The Qadisha valley was a settlement of early Christian monasticism, situated in a rugged landscape north of the Western Mountain Range of Lebanon. Near the valley lies the Cedars forest, a nature reserve dedicated to the preservation of the last Cedar trees, used in antiquity for the construction of Phoenician boats and religious buildings. [22]
List of monasteries in the Qadisha Valley:
Other monasteries consist of the Monastery of Mar Girgis, with the Chapel of Mar Challita, the Monastery of Mar Yuhanna, the Monastery of Mar Abun, with the Hermitage of Mar Sarkis, and the Monastery of Mart Moura, Ehden.
Tyre was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984. It was the birthplace of the purple dye known as Tyrian purple and had founded several colonies in the Mediterranean such as Carthage and Cadiz. Many civilizations successively settled in Tyre from Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans to Crusaders and Ottoman Turks. Today, there are still many valuable remains mainly from the Roman era. [23]
Major archaeological sites in Tyre: [24]
Ecotourism in Lebanon has a rich background of natural diversity and a wide range of outdoor activities. With an original landscape consisting of mountains, forests, wildlife, beaches, snow-fed rivers, caves, valleys, and gorges, Lebanon is becoming more of an outdoor destination where people can visit its natural reserves and practice their ecotourism activities. [25]
Ecotourism activities and sports: [26]
Natural reserves:
Lebanon's nature and geography, which are unique to the Middle East region, allow the practice of outdoor activities (mainly concentrated in the summer season). Nowadays, these activities are gaining more interest from nature lovers and becoming well equipped with the specific requirements and facilities. [27]
Major Outdoor activities:
Although Lebanon is considered to be a summer destination, winter sports are becoming more in demand due to the close geographical location of the mountain peaks from the Mediterranean sea and the unique winter experience that visitors have. Lebanese winter sports include Alpine skiing and Cross Country in addition to paragliding, snowmobiling, and hiking. [28]
The Ski resorts:
Lebanon has a 200 km of seashore with about 300 days of sunshine a year, making it a favorable destination for leisure and activities that expand in different parts of the country. [29]
Popular Beaches and water parks in Lebanon:
Art Galleries in Lebanon:
The Lebanese cuisine, resembling Levantine cuisine with its own unique distinctions, combines the exotic ingredients of the Middle and Far East with the sophistication of European cuisine. Although the Lebanese cuisine has a recent popularity throughout the world, its history dates back to pre-biblical times. This eastern Mediterranean cuisine, which is located in a relatively small geographical area, has had a major influence on Middle Eastern cuisine and other neighboring culinary cultures. Nowadays, Lebanese cuisine is known throughout the world, especially with the recent emphasis on the health benefits of Mediterranean cuisine. The significant importance of this ancient cuisine has also inspired professional chefs and restaurateurs across the country to feature exciting Lebanese items on their menus. Popular Lebanese Restaurants in Lebanon: Mounir, Karamna, Leila, Al Balad, Kababji, and Al Halabi [31]
Lebanese crafts have a sense of style and beauty that attract many tourists interested in these unique handcrafted items which are considered as a significant souvenir of the tour. The production method of Lebanese crafts is mainly concentrated in small villages where the old skills are handed from generation to generation, produced from local raw materials and carefully made with a sophisticated aesthetic and skill. Different regions of the country specialize in various handicrafts such as basketry, carpet weaving, ceramics and pottery, copper and metalworking, embroidery, glass blowing, and gold and silver smithing. Some Lebanese villages are also known for their finely crafted church bells. [32]
There is a wide range of festivals that take place in Lebanon, especially in the summer season where festivities including both Lebanese and international performers take place in major archaeological and historical sites, including Baalbek, Byblos, and Beiteddine. [33]
Major Lebanese festivals:
Tourism was once a very important contributor to Lebanon's economy, accounting for almost 20 percent of the GDP in the 2 decades before the start of the civil war. Since the end of the war, the sector has managed to revive somewhat, but tourism has yet to return to its pre-war levels. Tourism in 1999 accounted for 9 percent of the GDP. In 2001, the tourism sector was one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, with the number of tourists visiting Lebanon between 1996 and 2000 growing at the rate of 14 percent annually. [34] In 2003 the tourism industry contributed 6.374 billion U.S. dollars to the Lebanese economy and in 2005 the receipts per capita reached 1,433 U.S. dollars. [35] In 2004, the song "Libnan", [36] written and performed by Lydia Canaan (who in 1997 was awarded the Lebanese International Success Award [37] by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism), was the soundtrack of the advertisement "Rediscover Lebanon", produced and broadcast by CNN to over one-billion viewers and commissioned by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy & Trade to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination. [38] [39] In 2006 the ministry of Tourism counted 373,037 admissions to the country's main ministry run touristic sites. [40] In 2009, Lebanon hosted about two million tourists, a record number, passing the previous 1974 record of 1.4 million tourists. [41] The number of tourists grew by 39% over the previous year, the largest increase in any country according to the World Tourism Organization. [42] Most of the increase is due to heightened political stability and security. Lebanon was also featured by several international media outlets, including the New York Times , CNN, and Paris Match , as a top tourist destination at the beginning of 2009. [43] Lebanon's annual income from tourism reached $7 billion, about 20 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the Minister of Tourism. [41] Despite the recent surge in popularity as a tourist destination, the United States along with a number of other countries continue to urge their citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to current safety and security concerns. [44] [45] [46] The Beirut Museum of Art, or BeMA, is scheduled to open in 2026 and will feature all of the Lebanese art that has been produced over the past 200 years, from the 19th century to the present, despite the challenging times that Beirut is currently experiencing, according to Talass Rawaa's interview with Juliana Khalaf.In order to grow Lebanon's tourism industry and overall economy, it is important to promote the country's arts and culture as much as possible. [47]
Year | International Tourist Arrivals | [48] Market share in the Middle East [48] |
---|---|---|
1995 | 450,000 | |
2000 | 472,000 | 3.1% |
2003 | 1,016,000 | |
2004 | 1,278,000 | |
2005 | 1,140,000 | 2.9% |
2010 | 2,351,081 | |
2011 | 2,001,811 |
On August 16, 2015, during the 7th session of the Joint Jordanian-Lebanese Higher Committee, Lebanese and Jordanian officials signed a five-year tourism partnership program which includes efforts to promote tourism in both countries. [49]
Most visitors arriving to Lebanon were from the following countries of nationality: [50]
Country | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Syria | 552,179 | 2,421,346 | 2,687,509 | 2,377,368 | 1,802,598 | 1,956,194 | 3,614,539 | 4,459,842 | 4,116,463 |
Iraq | 52,903 | 196,265 | 211,589 | 226,930 | 236,013 | 191,578 | 189,156 | 141,986 | 126,982 |
France | 46,219 | 181,127 | 181,321 | 164,924 | 145,666 | 134,181 | 120,710 | 117,688 | 120,134 |
United States | 38,104 | 192,671 | 190,464 | 171,110 | 154,095 | 135,606 | 114,015 | 103,483 | 110,539 |
Germany | 30,083 | 106,379 | 104,167 | 96,711 | 87,567 | 74,823 | 67,988 | 61,123 | 62,160 |
Egypt | 23,364 | 92,533 | 92,173 | 82,282 | 83,337 | 75,524 | 69,179 | 63,578 | 64,017 |
Canada | 22,664 | 113,063 | 114,137 | 107,713 | 100, 076 | 91,324 | 78,419 | 71,841 | 75,751 |
Jordan | 13,245 | 87,447 | 92,920 | 90,077 | 86,693 | 77,960 | 73,822 | 78,018 | 89,100 |
United Kingdom | 16,979 | 74,177 | 75,309 | 68,360 | 61,994 | 56,608 | 49,179 | 48,504 | 50,214 |
Sweden | 11,993 | 47,153 | 44,032 | 38,958 | 34,722 | 28,376 | 26,031 | 24,011 | 24,340 |
Turkey | 9,266 | 33,850 | 32,744 | 29,839 | 25,487 | 21,027 | 16,126 | 23,823 | 28,850 |
Australia | 8,265 | 75,589 | 84,218 | 78,664 | 72,743 | 57,852 | 48,467 | 43,560 | 50,261 |
Total | 965,733 | 4,357,666 | 4,651,399 | 4,234,163 | 4,179,966 | 3,474,121 | 4,969,186 | 5,734,204 | 5,482,308 |
Sidon or Saida is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located on the Mediterranean coast in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital. Tyre, to the south, and the Lebanese capital of Beirut, to the north, are both about 40 kilometres away. Sidon has a population of about 80,000 within the city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.
Byblos, also known as Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl, is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC. During its history, Byblos was part of numerous cultures including Egyptian, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Genoese, Mamluk and Ottoman. Urbanisation is thought to have begun during the third millennium BC and it developed into a city making it one of the oldest cities in the world. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Tripoli is the largest and most important city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 81 km (50 mi) north of the capital Beirut, it is the capital of the North Governorate and the Tripoli District. Tripoli overlooks the eastern Mediterranean Sea, and it is the northernmost seaport in Lebanon. The city is predominantly inhabited by Sunni Muslims, with smaller populations of Alawites and Christians, including Maronites and Armenians among others.
Jounieh is a coastal city in Keserwan District, about 16 km (10 mi) north of Beirut, Lebanon. Since 2017, it has been the capital of Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts and bustling nightlife, as well as its old stone souk, ferry port, paragliding site and gondola lift, which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.
The nine governorates of Lebanon are subdivided into 25 districts. Beirut Governorate is not subdivided into districts, and Akkar Governorate comprises a single district.
South Governorate is one of the governorates of Lebanon. South Lebanon has a population of 590,000 inhabitants and an area of 929.6 km2. The capital is Sidon. The lowest elevation is sea-level; the highest is 1,000 meters. The local population is religiously diverse and includes Shia and Sunni Muslims, Druze, Eastern Orthodox, Maronite, Protestant, and Greek Catholic Christians. Temperatures can drop to 4 °C during winter with much rain and snow on the higher ground. In the humid summer, temperatures can rise to 30 °C in the coastal areas. The governorate has several rivers: the Litani, Deir El Zahrani, Naqoura, Awali, Qasmiye, and Hasbani. The area is famous for its citrus and banana farms. Its main cities are Sidon, Tyre and Jezzine.
North Governorate is one of the governorates of Lebanon and one of the two governorates of North Lebanon. Its capital is Tripoli. Ramzi Nohra has been its governor since May 2, 2014. The population of North Governorate is 731,251.
Amioun is the capital of the predominantly Greek Orthodox Koura District in North Lebanon.
Ehden is a mountainous city in the heart of the northern mountains of Lebanon and on the southwestern slopes of Mount Makmal in the Mount Lebanon Range. Its residents are the people of Zgharta, as it is within the Zgharta District.
Yanouh is a village and municipality in the Byblos District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate, Lebanon. It is located 94 kilometers north of Beirut. Yanouh's inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Catholics. Its average elevation is 1,120 meters above sea level and its total land area is 147 hectares. Yanouh stands on the slopes of Joubbat El Mnaitra, five miles east of Qartaba, on the right bank high up in the ravine carved out by the Adonis River, now known as Nahr Ibrahim.
Anfeh, or Enfe, Enfeh, Anfe, is a town in the Koura district of the North Governorate of Lebanon. Anfeh borders the towns of Chekka, Al-Qalamoun, Barghoun and Zakroun. It is located 65 kilometres (40 mi) north of Beirut and 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of Tripoli. Its total area is 4.93 square kilometres (1.90 sq mi), and its population is around 6,500.
Our Lady of Mantara is a Melkite Greek Catholic Marian shrine in Maghdouché, Lebanon, discovered on 8 September 1721 by a young shepherd. The grotto, which according to a legend dates to ancient times, was subsequently cared after by Monsignor Eftemios Saïfi, Melkite Catholic bishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Sidon. The shrine consists of a tower crowned with the statue of the Virgin and Child, a cathedral, a cemetery and a sacred cave believed to be the one where the Virgin Mary rested while she waited for Jesus while he was in Tyre and Sidon. Since its discovery, it has been steadily visited by families particularly each year on the occasion of the feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September.
Smar Jbeil is a village located in the Batroun District in the North Governorate of Lebanon. It is located on a hill facing the Mediterranean Sea at 500 m elevation. It is one of the oldest villages in Lebanon.
Byblos Castle is a Crusader castle in Byblos, Lebanon. In Crusader times it was known as the Castle of Gibelet, also spelled Giblet, which belonged to the Genoese Embriaco family, Lords of the city. It is adjacent to the Phoenician archaeological site containing the ruins of the Temple of Baalat Gebal and the Temple of the Obelisks.
Kfarsghab in Zgharta District in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon predates Christianity. However, like most villages in the Qadisha valley, Kfarsghab's history began with the settlement of the Maronites in Mount Lebanon during the 10th century. According to the popular tradition, the church of Saint Awtel was built on the ruins of a pagan temple. Pagan temples existed in this region as attested in the Greek inscription mentioning the date 272 AD found in the Mar Mama church in Ehden. Other temples may have existed in the region, such as the monastery of Mar Sarkis and Bakhos in Ehden, which may have been built atop ruins. Given the exceptional location of Saint Awtel's Church built on a promontory, the popular tradition about the existence of a pagan temple in Kfarsghab is plausible.
The architecture of Lebanon embodies the historical, cultural and religious influences that have shaped Lebanon's built environment. It has been influenced by the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Umayyads, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans and French. Additionally, Lebanon is home to many examples of modern and contemporary architecture. Architecturally notable structures in Lebanon include ancient thermae and temples, castles, churches, mosques, hotels, museums, government buildings, souks, residences and towers.
Beirut Castle was a major Crusader castle located in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. It was mostly built during the Crusades and demolished during works of extension of the Port of Beirut in the late 19th century.
Sidon is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and has a rich and diverse history that spans over 6,000 years. The city's name has changed over time and has been known by various names, including Sidun, Saida, and Saïd. The earliest evidence of human settlement in the area dates back to the Neolithic period, around 4000 BCE. Sidon rose to prominence during the Bronze Age and became one of the most important city-states in the region. It was a major center for trade and commerce and played a significant role in the Mediterranean trade network. The city's strategic coastal location made it a hub for maritime activities.