BEIRUT: Tourism Minister Michel Pharoun appeared cautiously optimistic about holiday season tourism, saying airport traffic was acceptable, and noting an increase in the number of travelers compared to 2013.
“Tourism is acceptable during the holiday season and there is a 10 to 20 percent increase compared to last year,” Pharoun said during a tour of Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport.
While hoping for snowfall this year to invigorate winter tourism, the minister said he expected more tourists from various nationalities to come to Lebanon for the holiday season.
He noted that there was a large number of Egyptian, Jordanian, Iraqi and European tourists, as well as visitors from the Gulf.
Lebanon’s tourism sector, which accounts for around 20 percent of the country’s GDP, has been hit hard since the outbreak of the neighboring Syria crisis, especially after a spate of Syria-related car bombings rocked the country last year and earlier this year. Border clashes, cross-border rocket attacks and internal political deadlocks also affected tourism.
“Despite the inability to elect a new president, the government is doing what it can. ... Political dialogue between Future and Hezbollah led to political stability,” he said, adding that security forces including the Lebanese Army on the border were working to strengthen security.
While inspecting the tourist center at the airport, Pharoun said it should expand its services to better accommodate the increasing number of travelers.
“When we talk about stability and securing the airport road, we should also discuss the need to expand services at the airport after the number of travelers exceeded 6 million, which is the original capacity,” he said.
“We also need to bring down the ticket prices after fuel prices had declined by 40 percent,” said Pharoun, who also toured shopping centers in Beirut, Kesrouan, Metn and Jbeil.
The minister also spoke about the food safety scandal that has sent shock waves across the country, saying the issue should be dealt with starting at the airport.
“The issue of food safety starts at the airport, the port, the farms and traders and then restaurants that we consider are performing well in this regard,” he said.
Pharoun was among those who criticized Health Minister Wael Abu Faour for publicly naming and shaming restaurants serving contaminated food, arguing that such a move could serve a blow to the country’s tourism sector.
Abu Faour has said that such claims are baseless.
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