Shadow of Syria takes toll on Lebanon's tourist appeal

The Christian Science Monitor

With its golden beaches, soaring mountains, Roman ruins, and frenetic nightlife packed into an area two-thirds the size of Maryland, Lebanon has long relied on tourism as an important source of national income, especially from residents of the more conservative Persian Gulf states.

But rising political and sectarian tensions, a Lebanon travel ban by Gulf countries, and the impact of the war ravaging neighboring Syria have combined to ruin the key summer tourist season.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor FULL STORY