Lebanon Expects to Receive 1 Mn Tourists this Summer

A tourist takes a picture of fellow tourists at the sea castle in Sidon, Lebanon (File photo: Reuters)
A tourist takes a picture of fellow tourists at the sea castle in Sidon, Lebanon (File photo: Reuters)
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Lebanon Expects to Receive 1 Mn Tourists this Summer

A tourist takes a picture of fellow tourists at the sea castle in Sidon, Lebanon (File photo: Reuters)
A tourist takes a picture of fellow tourists at the sea castle in Sidon, Lebanon (File photo: Reuters)

Lebanon expects to receive one million tourists this summer, with 600,000 visitors already arriving in the country, caretaker Tourism Minister Walid Nassar said.

The latest data showed a 77 percent increase in travelers through Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut since the beginning of the year.

Nassar expressed his "optimism about the tourist season," saying in a statement during his participation in the "B Nos Jounieh" festival that over one million tourists are expected to arrive, and hoping for stability.

He said that despite the difficult economic conditions and the scarcity of funds in the municipalities, it is possible through creative ideas to create an atmosphere and restore joy to citizens while reviving the economic cycle.

On the eve of Eid al-Adha, about 30,000 passengers arrive daily through the airport, most Lebanese residents and expatriates.

The number of passengers at the airport in the first week of July increased 44.91 percent, compared to the same period last year, and reached 183,352 passengers.

Lebanon's National News Agency said that at the end of June, the number of passengers arriving through the airport increased during the first half of this year.

About 2,568,797 passengers arrived in Lebanon, compared to 1,444 502 passengers in 2021, which amounts to a 77.83 percent increase and a 113 percent increase over the same period in 2020.

However, the figures showed a decline of about 35 percent from the first half of 2019, when 4,400,523 passengers arrived at the airport.



Trump's Baseline Tariff Plays to Türkiye’s Advantage, Vice President Says

Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz speaks during a press conference to unveil a savings measures package in Ankara, Türkiye, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz speaks during a press conference to unveil a savings measures package in Ankara, Türkiye, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
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Trump's Baseline Tariff Plays to Türkiye’s Advantage, Vice President Says

Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz speaks during a press conference to unveil a savings measures package in Ankara, Türkiye, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo
Türkiye's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz speaks during a press conference to unveil a savings measures package in Ankara, Türkiye, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo

The relatively low 10% baseline tariff that the United States has applied to Türkiye could favor Turkish exporters, Türkiye's vice president told broadcaster CNN Turk on Saturday.
Along with the baseline tariff that took effect on Saturday, US President Donald Trump has announced higher levies on goods from 57 larger partners including China, European Union, Vietnam and Japan that are due to start next week.
The decision not to impose such levies on Türkiye "seems to be to our advantage as of now, for access to the American market", Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz told CNN Turk.
"There were already tariffs on iron, steel and aluminium (exports from Türkiye to the US). When (the US) imposed similar tariffs on the others, there was an equalization there, it was in our favour," he added.
Yilmaz said that as an importer, Türkiye would also benefit from a drop in international commodity prices, including oil, following Trump's announcement.
Türkiye's Trade Minister Omer Bolat said on Friday that the Turkish government wanted to negotiate with the US to lift the 10% in new tariffs.
He called them the "best of the worst", given higher tariffs on many other countries.