Lebanon’s tourism industry faces a third dismal season with the on-going regional and local turmoil. However as per reports, the new tourism minister is looking to expand beyond traditional Gulf tourists, as reported by Arab News.
Among Michel Pharaon’s wide-range of plans to give a needed boost to a sector that is estimated to make up 20 percent of the Lebanese economy is to focus on drawing in a new class of travellers: medical tourists.
“In Lebanon, we have professionals in the health care industry that can bring in tourists from Yemen, Iraq, Libya and Algeria,” said the minister. “We have a committee working hard on that, and there is a conference that will take place soon on this subject matter, but we are currently working on bringing all actors together,” he added.
The need to attract tourists from beyond the traditional Gulf markets is especially important GCC states maintain their travel warnings on Lebanon, which Pharaon is working to get removed in the coming months.
“We are working hard on lifting the travel ban to Lebanon imposed by the GCC countries on their nationals and we are trying to get positive results on this matter,” said the minister.
The minister said the travel advisories were political in nature, attributable to the stance of the previous administration on regional conflicts, including the Syrian war.
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