Minister: Number of tourists to Lebanon to exceed 3 million

BEIRUT, Lebanon - Lebanon’s tourism minister said Friday he expected the number of tourists to the country at the end of 2012 to exceed 3 million.

“I expect a very good season this year,” Fadi Abboud said, adding that “investments in tourism are extremely good despite the fall in the number of tourists entering Lebanon through Syria.”

He noted that a 22 percent increase in activity at Rafik Hariri International Airport during the first quarter of 2012 suggested significant improvement in tourism.

“We have seen the number of Saudi tourists soaring from just 4,000 [during the first quarter of 2011] to over 30,000 during the same period this year,” Abboud added.