Lebanon Turns to Its Expats to Resurrect Tourism Economy
Photo Credit: Around 1.2 million tourists are expected to visit Lebanon this summer. pixabay / djedj
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Lebanon does know that its diaspora is essential to help revive the country's tourism economy, but the government would need to do more than just roll out marketing campaigns to convince more tourists to visit the country.
Lebanon is calling all its expatriates back home for the summer. Keen to resurrect the country’s tourism sector, Walid Nassar, Lebanon’s tourism minister, sent a message to the Lebanese expat community — “If you miss Lebanon, visit it this summer.”
While Lebanon's population is over four million, 16 million Lebanese are said to be living abroad.
In June, Nassar announced the launch of the 2022 summer tourism campaign — "Ahla Bhal Talleh" (Welcome to Lebanon) — from Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport. The government did not mention how much it would be spending on the campaign.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/Ce6mOP5I04X/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=However, not many in Lebanon, one of the smallest countries in Asia, are convinced of the government’s efforts to woo tourists.
The traditionally tourism-reliant economy of Lebanon had been wrecked by the country’s political and economic instability in 2019 as international vi
