Editing Lebanon (section)

== Economy ==
{{Main|Economy of Lebanon}}
[[File:Seafront_Towers_at_Zaitunay_Bay,_Downtown_Beirut.jpg|thumb|[[Beirut Central District]]]]
[[Constitution of Lebanon|Lebanon's constitution]] states that 'the economic system is free and ensures private initiative and the right to private property'. Lebanon's economy follows a [[laissez-faire]] model.<ref name="expus">{{cite web |url=http://export.gov/lebanon/static/Doing%20Business%20in%20Lebanon_Latest_eg_lb_037171.doc |title=Doing Business in Lebanon |publisher=Export.gov |access-date=17 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116235829/http://export.gov/lebanon/static/Doing%20Business%20in%20Lebanon_Latest_eg_lb_037171.doc |archive-date=16 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Most of the economy is [[dollarized]], and the country has no restrictions on the movement of capital across its borders.<ref name="expus" /> The Lebanese government's intervention in foreign trade is minimal.<ref name="expus" /> The [[Investment Development Authority of Lebanon]] was established with the aim of promoting investment in Lebanon. In 2001, Investment Law No.360<ref>{{cite web |title=Investment Law No.360 |url=http://www.idal.com.lb/OurProfile.aspx?ID=76 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721012718/http://www.idal.com.lb/OurProfile.aspx?ID=76 |archive-date=21 July 2011 |access-date=29 July 2011}}</ref> was enacted to reinforce the organisation's mission.

Lebanon is now suffering the worst [[Lebanese liquidity crisis|economic crisis]] in decades.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> As of 2023, the GDP has shrunk by 40% since 2018, and the currency has experienced a significant depreciation of 95%.<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 July 2023 |title=The world's worst central banker retires |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/07/31/the-worlds-worst-central-banker-retires |access-date=24 December 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=2 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202173927/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/07/31/the-worlds-worst-central-banker-retires |url-status=live }}</ref> The annual inflation rate exceeds 200%, rendering the minimum wage equivalent to approximately $1 per day.<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=28 April 2022 |title=Lebanon goes to the polls amid its worst-ever financial crisis |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/04/28/lebanon-goes-to-the-polls-amid-its-worst-ever-financial-crisis |access-date=25 December 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225145646/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2022/04/28/lebanon-goes-to-the-polls-amid-its-worst-ever-financial-crisis |url-status=live }}</ref> This was the first time Lebanon had devalued its official exchange rate in 25 years.<ref name=":4" /> According to the United Nations, three out of every four Lebanese individuals fall below the poverty line.<ref name=":6" /> The crisis stems from a long-term [[Ponzi scheme]] by the [[Banque du Liban|Central Bank of Lebanon]], borrowing dollars at high interest rates to sustain deficits and maintain a currency peg. By 2019, insufficient new deposits led to an unsustainable situation, resulting in weeks-long bank closures, arbitrary capital controls, and ultimately, the country's default in 2020.<ref name=":5" />

Throughout the Ottoman and French mandatory periods and into the 1960s, Lebanon experienced prosperity, serving as a hub for banking, financial services, and a key distribution center for the Middle East. The local economy thrived with a foundation in industries related to food processing, clothing, jewelry, and carpets. This prosperity was later marred by four decades of conflict.<ref name=":7" /> Following the end of the civil war, Lebanon has developed a service-based economy centered around finance, real estate, and tourism.<ref>{{Cite news |date=9 May 2020 |title=Why protesters firebomb banks in Lebanon |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/05/09/why-protesters-firebomb-banks-in-lebanon |access-date=25 December 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225135224/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/05/09/why-protesters-firebomb-banks-in-lebanon |url-status=live }}</ref> Nearly 65% of the Lebanese workforce attain employment in the services sector.<ref name="workforce">Jean Hayek et al, 1999. The Structure, Properties, and Main Foundations of the Lebanese Economy. In ''The Scientific Series in Geography, Grade 11'', 110–114. Beirut: Dar Habib.</ref> The GDP contribution, accordingly, amounts to roughly 67.3% of the annual Lebanese GDP.<ref name="dos-2010-03-22" /> However, dependence on the tourism and banking sectors leaves the economy vulnerable to political instability.<ref name="Canada">{{cite web |date=28 May 2009 |title=Lebanon |url=http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/lebanon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530095337/http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/lebanon |archive-date=30 May 2008 |access-date=24 August 2009 |work=Canadian International Development Agency |publisher=Government of Canada |format=Governmental}}</ref>

The urban population in Lebanon is noted for its commercial enterprise.<ref>{{cite web |title=Header: People, 4th paragraph |url=http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/bgnotes/nea/lebanon9401.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210031905/http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/bgnotes/nea/lebanon9401.html |archive-date=10 February 2007 |access-date=17 January 2013 |publisher=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> Emigration has yielded Lebanese "commercial networks" throughout the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Background Note: Lebanon |url=http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/documents/41e1aa0d7d676.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325004042/http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/documents/41e1aa0d7d676.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 |access-date=17 January 2013 |publisher=washingtoninstitute.org}}</ref> In 2008, Remittances from Lebanese abroad totalled $8.2&nbsp;billion<ref>{{cite web |title=Lebanon – Facts and Figures |url=http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/426 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611182611/http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/pid/426 |archive-date=11 June 2008 |access-date=17 January 2013 |publisher=Iom.int}}</ref> and account for one-fifth of the country's economy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Facts on Lebanon's economy |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSTRE5570SJ20090608 |access-date=17 January 2013 |archive-date=9 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309005436/https://www.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUSTRE5570SJ20090608 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2005, Lebanon had the largest proportion of skilled labor among Arab States.<ref>{{citation |author=((United Nations Population Fund)) |title=Lebanon |url=http://www.unfpa.org/profile/lebanon.cfm |access-date=9 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051027182552/http://www.unfpa.org/profile/lebanon.cfm |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-date=27 October 2005 |author-link=United Nations Population Fund}}</ref>

=== Agriculture ===
The [[Agriculture in Lebanon|agricultural sector]] in Lebanon employs 20–25% of the total [[workforce]],<ref name=":9" /> and contributed 3.1% to the country's GDP,<ref>{{Cite web |title=World Bank Open Data |url=https://data.worldbank.org/ |access-date=25 December 2023 |website=World Bank Open Data |archive-date=26 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230526025607/https://data.worldbank.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> as of 2020. Lebanon has the highest proportion of cultivable land in the Arab world.<ref name="agriculture">{{cite web |date=13 June 1978 |title=Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, U.S.A. 1986–1988 |url=http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/71.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130116234919/http://countrystudies.us/lebanon/71.htm |archive-date=16 January 2013 |access-date=17 January 2013 |publisher=Countrystudies.us}}</ref> Major crops include apples, peaches, oranges, and lemons.<ref name="dos-2010-03-22" /> A significant portion of the country's factories, approximately one-third, is dedicated to producing packaged food items, ranging from poultry to pickles.<ref name=":9" /> However, despite favorable conditions for farming and diverse microclimates, the country depends on food imports, constituting 80% of its consumption. This is mainly attributed to the small scale of many farms, preventing the benefits of economies of scale.<ref name=":9" /> The ongoing economic crisis and devaluation of the Lebanese pound have also negatively impacted the agricultural sector, particularly through elevated costs for essential imports such as seeds and fertilizers. This economic strain compounds existing burdens for farmers, including escalating debts and inefficient agricultural practices. Consequently, farmers are observing a decline in revenues and encountering difficulties in meeting loan repayment obligations.<ref name=":9">{{Cite news |date=28 May 2020 |title=Hobbyists hope to halt hunger in Lebanon by growing their own crops |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/05/28/hobbyists-hope-to-halt-hunger-in-lebanon-by-growing-their-own-crops |access-date=25 December 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=25 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225125126/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2020/05/28/hobbyists-hope-to-halt-hunger-in-lebanon-by-growing-their-own-crops |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=15 June 2021 |title=Lebanese farmers face toughening crisis – DW – 06/15/2021 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/lebanese-farmers-struggle-amid-toughening-economic-crisis/a-57887925 |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=dw.com |language=en |archive-date=12 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112201846/https://www.dw.com/en/lebanese-farmers-struggle-amid-toughening-economic-crisis/a-57887925 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Commodity market|commodities market]] in Lebanon includes substantial [[gold coin]] production, however according to [[International Air Transport Association]] (IATA) standards, they must be declared upon exportation to any foreign country.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/LB-Lebanon-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm|title=IATA – Lebanon Customs, Currency & Airport Tax regulations details|website=www.iatatravelcentre.com|access-date=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140203163402/http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/LB-Lebanon-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm|archive-date=3 February 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Manufacturing and industry ===
Industry in Lebanon is mainly limited to small businesses that reassemble and package imported parts. In 2004, industry ranked second in workforce, with 26% of the Lebanese working population,<ref name="workforce" /> and second in GDP contribution, with 21% of Lebanon's GDP.<ref name="dos-2010-03-22" />

[[Petroleum|Oil]] has recently been discovered inland and in the seabed between Lebanon, Cyprus, Israel and Egypt and talks are underway between [[Cyprus]] and [[Egypt]] to reach an agreement regarding the exploration of these resources. The seabed separating Lebanon and Cyprus is believed to hold significant quantities of crude oil and natural gas.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2061187,00.html | magazine=Time | title=The Next Big Lebanon-Israel Flare-Up: Gas | date=6 April 2011 | access-date=14 April 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410005921/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2061187,00.html | archive-date=10 April 2011 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref> On 10 May 2013, the Lebanese minister of energy and water clarified that seismic images of the Lebanese sea bed are undergoing detailed explanation of their contents and that up till now, approximately 10% have been covered. Preliminary inspection of the results showed, with over 50% probability, that 10% of Lebanon's exclusive economic zone held up to 660 million barrels of oil and up to 30×10<sup>12</sup> cu ft of gas.<ref>{{cite web |title=باسيل: حلم النفط صار واقعا وأنجزنا كل الخطوات الأساسية في فترة قياسية |trans-title=Basil: Oil dream became a reality and we did all the basic steps in record time |url=http://www.lebanonfiles.com/news/543122 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110162323/http://www.lebanonfiles.com/news/543122 |archive-date=10 November 2013 |access-date=28 May 2013 |publisher=Lebanonfiles.com}}</ref>

Lebanon has a [[Drug economy in Lebanon|significant drug industry]], including both production and trade. Western intelligence estimate an annual production of over 4 million pounds of [[Cannabis in Lebanon|hashish]] and 20,000 pounds of [[heroin]], generating profits exceeding $4 billion. In recent decades, Hezbollah has intensified its engagement in the drug economy, with narcotics serving as a significant revenue stream for the group. Despite some of the harvest being retained for local use, a significant amount is smuggled worldwide. Despite ongoing efforts, the government's inability to control the drug-producing Beqaa Valley and address illicit [[Fenethylline|Captagon]] factories allows for the persistent occurrence of drug trades, impacting Lebanon's economy and regional stability.<ref name=":52">{{Cite web |date=5 July 2021 |title=Lebanon's drug trade booms with help from Hezbollah's Captagon connection |url=https://arab.news/bbm33 |access-date=28 December 2023 |website=Arab News |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=The Gulf, Lebanon and The War on Drugs |url=https://www.egic.info/the-gulf-lebanon-war-on-drugs |access-date=28 December 2023 |website=egic |language=en |archive-date=28 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228160414/https://www.egic.info/the-gulf-lebanon-war-on-drugs |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news |last=Cwerman |first=Ralph |title=Lebanon's Valley of Drugs |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1990/11/18/lebanons-valley-of-drugs/9cca8a22-5a60-4529-9d5c-cfedf083af4f/ |access-date=31 December 2023 |archive-date=15 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515013450/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/opinions/1990/11/18/lebanons-valley-of-drugs/9cca8a22-5a60-4529-9d5c-cfedf083af4f/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Science and technology ===
[[File:USJ Campus.jpg|thumb|[[Saint Joseph University of Beirut]]'s Campus of Innovation and Sports on Damascus Street, [[Beirut]]]]
Lebanon was ranked 94th in the [[Global Innovation Index]] in 2024, down from 88th in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Innovation Index 2024 : Unlocking the Promise of Social Entrepreneurship |url=https://www.wipo.int/web-publications/global-innovation-index-2024/en/ |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=www.wipo.int |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Global Innovation Index 2019|url=https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|access-date=2 September 2021|website=www.wipo.int|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101818/https://www.wipo.int/global_innovation_index/en/2019/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=28 October 2013|title=Global Innovation Index|url=https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|access-date=2 September 2021|website=INSEAD Knowledge|language=en|archive-date=2 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210902101622/https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship-innovation/global-innovation-index-2930|url-status=dead}}</ref> Notable scientists from Lebanon include [[Hassan Kamel Al-Sabbah]], [[Rammal Rammal]], and [[Edgar Choueiri]].<ref>{{cite web|last=ago·|first=M. Srour·People·2 years|date=15 March 2019|title=6 Lebanese Geniuses That Make Us Proud|url=https://www.the961.com/6-lebanese-geniuses-that-make-us-proud/|access-date=14 October 2020|website=The961|language=en-US|archive-date=18 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018193018/https://www.the961.com/6-lebanese-geniuses-that-make-us-proud/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=5 January 2009|title=Rammal Award attribution by the Euroscience Foundation|url=http://www.euroscience.org/RAMMAL/rammal.htm|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105212227/http://www.euroscience.org/RAMMAL/rammal.htm|archive-date=5 January 2009}}</ref>

In 1960, a science club from a university in Beirut started a Lebanese space program called "[[the Lebanese Rocket Society]]". They achieved great success until 1966 where the program was stopped because of both war and external pressure.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hooper|first=Richard|date=14 November 2013|title=Lebanon's forgotten space programme|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24735423|access-date=14 October 2020|archive-date=18 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231018193017/https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24735423|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Bizarre Tale of the Middle East's First Space Program|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/bizarre-tale-middle-easts-first-space-program-180960808/|access-date=14 October 2020|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en|archive-date=8 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208131753/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/bizarre-tale-middle-easts-first-space-program-180960808/|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Development ===
In the 1950s, GDP growth was the second highest in the world. Despite having no oil reserves, Lebanon, as the Arab world's banking center<ref>Podeh, Elie. ''The Quest for Hegemony in the Arab World: The Struggle Over the Baghdad Pact'', Brill Academic Pub (1 August 1997), page 154</ref> and among its trading center, had a high national income.<ref>{{cite book|author=Baten, Jörg |title=A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present.|date=2016|publisher=Cambridge University Press|page=231|isbn=9781107507180}}</ref>[[File:Real-gdp-per-capita-PennWT.png|thumb|left|Lebanese real GDP 1970–2017]]

The [[Lebanese Civil War|1975–1990 civil war]] heavily damaged Lebanon's economic infrastructure,<ref name="Stinson" /> cut national output by half, and all but ended Lebanon's position as a West Asian [[entrepôt]] and banking hub.<ref name="cia" /> The subsequent period of relative peace enabled the central government to restore control in [[Beirut]], begin collecting taxes, and regain access to key port and government facilities. Economic recovery has been helped by a financially sound banking system and resilient small- and medium-scale manufacturers, with family remittances, banking services, manufactured and farm exports, and international aid as the main sources of foreign exchange.<ref name="cia2001">{{cite web|url=http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/reference/2001WorldFactbook/LEBANON.PDF |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614003953/http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/reference/2001WorldFactbook/LEBANON.PDF |archive-date=14 June 2007 |title=CIA World Factbook 2001 |access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref>[[File:Frances_Guy,_Beirut_Dock's_you_can_just_about_see_the_snow-capped_peaks_(2213410431).jpg|thumb|Port of Beirut]]Until July 2006, Lebanon enjoyed considerable stability, Beirut's reconstruction was almost complete,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.csbe.org/saliba/essay1.htm| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725210323/http://www.csbe.org/saliba/essay1.htm| archive-date=25 July 2011| title=Deconstructing Beirut's Reconstruction: 1990–2000| publisher=Center for the Study of the Built Environment| access-date=31 October 2006}}</ref> and increasing numbers of tourists poured into the nation's resorts.<ref name="tourism">{{cite news| url=https://www.chron.com/default/article/Lebanon-hopes-for-stability-so-tourism-industry-1895818.php| author=Johnson, Anna| year=2006| title=Lebanon: Tourism Depends on Stability| newspaper=Chron| access-date=31 October 2006| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120113012527/http://www.chron.com/default/article/Lebanon-hopes-for-stability-so-tourism-industry-1895818.php| archive-date=13 January 2012| url-status=live| df=dmy-all}}</ref> The economy witnessed growth, with bank assets reaching over 75&nbsp;billion US dollars,<ref name="economy-stat">{{cite web|url=http://www.audi.com.lb/geteconomy/quarterly/lebanon.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081123013845/http://www.audi.com.lb/geteconomy/quarterly/lebanon.pdf |archive-date=23 November 2008 |title=Lebanon Economic Report: 2nd quarter, 2006 |publisher=Bank Audi |access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref> [[Market capitalization]] was also at an all-time high, estimated at $10.9&nbsp;billion at the end of the second quarter of 2006.<ref name="economy-stat" /> The month-long [[2006 Lebanon War|2006 war]] severely damaged Lebanon's fragile economy, especially the tourism sector. According to a preliminary report published by the Lebanese [[Ministry of Finance (Lebanon)|Ministry of Finance]] on 30 August 2006, a major economic decline was expected as a result of the fighting.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lebanonundersiege.gov.lb/documents/ImpactonfinanceReport-Englishversion-06.pdf |title=Impact of the July Offensive on the Public Finances in 2006 |publisher=Lebanese Ministry of Finance |access-date=17 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325004048/http://www.lebanonundersiege.gov.lb/documents/ImpactonfinanceReport-Englishversion-06.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Over the course of 2008 Lebanon rebuilt its infrastructure mainly in the real estate and tourism sectors, resulting in a comparatively robust post war economy. Major contributors to the reconstruction of Lebanon include [[Saudi Arabia]] (with US$1.5&nbsp;billion pledged),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cynews.com/news/7005070415/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928180742/http://www.cynews.com/news/7005070415/ |archive-date=28 September 2007 |title=Saudi Arabia Key Contributor To Lebanon's Reconstruction |author=Joseph S. Mayton |publisher=Cyprus News |date=28 September 2007 |access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref> the European Union (with about $1&nbsp;billion)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://reliefweb.int/node/434440 |title=Donors pledge over $940 million for Lebanon |publisher=Reliefweb.int |date=31 August 2006 |access-date=17 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112150202/http://reliefweb.int/node/434440 |archive-date=12 January 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> and a few other Persian Gulf countries with contributions of up to $800&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20060825/feat2en.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20061020061315/http://www.ain-al-yaqeen.com/issues/20060825/feat2en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 October 2006 |title=The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Reviews with the Jordanian King the Situation in Lebanon... |publisher=Ain-Al-Yaqeen |access-date=17 January 2013}}</ref>

=== Tourism ===
[[File:Beirut Corniche, Beirut, Lebanon.jpg|thumb|[[Beirut]] is the tourism hub of the country.]]{{Main|Tourism in Lebanon}}The tourism industry accounts for about 10% of [[GDP]].<ref name=lebtourecon /> Lebanon attracted around 1,333,000 tourists in 2008, thus placing it as 79th out of 191 countries.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_tou_arr-economy-tourist-arrivals |title=Tourist arrivals statistics – Countries Compared |publisher=NationMaster |access-date=4 November 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111030164748/http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/eco_tou_arr-economy-tourist-arrivals |archive-date=30 October 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2009, ''The New York Times'' ranked Beirut the No.&nbsp;1 travel destination worldwide due to its nightlife and hospitality.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Zach Wise |author2-link=Miki Meek |author2=Miki Meek |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html |title=The 44 Places to Go in 2009 – Interactive Graphic |date=11 January 2009 |access-date=21 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422182843/http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/01/11/travel/20090111_DESTINATIONS.html |archive-date=22 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2010, the [[Ministry of Tourism (Lebanon)|Ministry of Tourism]] announced that 1,851,081 tourists had visited Lebanon in 2009, a 39% increase from 2008.<ref name="lebanon-tourism1">{{cite web|url=http://www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb/Ministry/Statistics.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111043318/http://www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb/Ministry/Statistics.aspx |archive-date=11 January 2010 |title=Ministry of Tourism :: Destination Lebanon |publisher=Lebanon-tourism.gov.lb |access-date=7 January 2012}}</ref> In 2009, Lebanon hosted the largest number of tourists to date, eclipsing the previous record set before the [[Lebanese Civil War]].<ref name="ABC 2009 Tourism Record">{{cite news|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=9601315 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100122014016/http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=9601315|archive-date=22 January 2010|title=Lebanon Says 2009 Was Best on Record for Tourism|date=19 January 2010|agency=Associated Press|work=ABC News|access-date=1 February 2010}}</ref> Tourist arrivals reached two million in 2010, but fell by 37% for the first 10 months of 2012, a decline caused by the war in neighbouring Syria.<ref name=lebtourecon>{{cite news|title=Lebanon's tourists: Can they be lured back?|url=https://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2013/01/lebanon%E2%80%99s-tourists|newspaper=The Economist|date=11 January 2013|access-date=13 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701161212/http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2013/01/lebanon%E2%80%99s-tourists|archive-date=1 July 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, [[Saudi Arabia]], Jordan, and Japan were the three most popular origin countries of foreign tourists to Lebanon.<ref>{{cite journal|url=http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/Jul-16/Hospitality-revenues-plunge-40-percent-in-2011.ashx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716210658/http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Business/Lebanon/2011/Jul-16/Hospitality-revenues-plunge-40-percent-in-2011.ashx#axzz1SE0e7i00 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |title=Hospitality revenues plunge 40 percent in 2011 |journal=The Daily Star |date=16 July 2011|author=Qiblawi, Tamara |access-date=4 November 2011}}</ref> In summer, a considerable number of visitors to Lebanon consists of Lebanese expatriates coming to visit their hometowns.<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=24 August 2023 |title=Lebanon is experiencing a tourism boom |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/08/24/lebanon-is-experiencing-a-tourism-boom |access-date=24 December 2023 |issn=0013-0613 |archive-date=24 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231224113936/https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2023/08/24/lebanon-is-experiencing-a-tourism-boom |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012, it was reported that an influx of Japanese tourists had caused a rise in popularity of [[Japanese cuisine]] in Lebanon.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lb.emb-japan.go.jp/ |title=Lebanese Cuisine With a Japanese Twist |publisher=Embassy of Japan in Lebanon |date=12 September 2012 |access-date=12 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121227042626/http://www.lb.emb-japan.go.jp/ |archive-date=27 December 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On 4 May, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has announced that it will lift its travel ban on Lebanon, effective May 7, 2025. This decision follows a meeting between Lebanese President [[Joseph Aoun]] and UAE President [[Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed|Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed]] in [[Abu Dhabi]], during which both leaders agreed to facilitate travel and improve movement between the two countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-04 |title=UAE to lift Lebanon travel ban on May 7 |url=https://www.arabnews.pk/node/2599485/middle-east?utm_= |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Arab News PK |language=en}}</ref>