Tourism down in 2013

Iraqis, Egyptians, and Jordanians topped the list
of Arab visitors

The number of tourists dropped by 6.7 percent last year, compared to 2012, according to the Ministry of Tourism. The overall number of tourists reached around 1.2 million.

Hotels were the most affected, while restaurants altered their focus to the local demand instead of relying on foreign tourists.

Statistics showed that only visitors from Africa grew to five percent. Jean Abboud, President of the Syndicate of Touristic and Travel Agencies said that most of them were expatriates who came to visit their home country.

Tourists coming from the Arab countries were affected by the sharpest drops, with 20 percent. With the quick decline in Gulf visitors, tourists from Iraq, Jordan and Egypt topped the list of Arab nationals. Visitors from Europe were the least to decline, with around 2.4 percent.

Comparing the month of holidays, December 2013 showed the same results as December 2012, growing by a mere half percent.

August showed the most significant growth, with 20 percent. The overall year’s assessment showed that Q4 2013 was the best quarter, in terms of visitors, reaching a growth of nearly six percent.