Editing Lebanon (section)

=== 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>