A new post on the Reddit Lebanon (r/lebanon) thread has been gaining a lot of traction for an infographic containing information that states that Lebanon generates one of the highest revenues per tourist.
The original source of the post comes from the Lebanese non-profit civil company called Gherbal Initiative (GI), which aims to promote transparency and accountability when it comes to the state in terms of the law, economy, and government agencies. The infographic was originally posted on GI’s Facebook page back in April of this year.
According to the company, when it comes to capital per tourist and the average tourist spending, Lebanon earns about $4,099 per visit, with Luxembourg weighing in at approximately $4,322 per tourist while Australia typically earns around $4,734 per tourist.
That places Lebanon in third place for most money generated by a single tourist, and that’s taking into consideration countries from around the world, including the U.S. and Sweden.
This is interesting news considering the staggering debt the Lebanese state is currently facing, and it could be a beacon of hope for our economy.
In its post on April 12, 2019, GI stated, “The question remains… Why don’t we benefit from these income[s] to work on the development of the tourism sector and start the most important example of infrastructure from roads, electricity, sewers, and others?!”
As budget amendments and continuous meetings by Parliament have taken place over the past several weeks, the post has also gained some traction since its arrival on Reddit two days ago.
“..it’s good for our economy if tourists come and spend their money in Lebanon,” the poster on Reddit, under the username Mar1Harb, said in a reply in the comments section.
Via Hospitality News Middle East
Overall, tourism expenditure has increased in Lebanon over the past several years, with the annual amount grossing at $3.3 billion in 2017, making up 6.7% of the country’s overall gross domestic product (GDP).
Tourism in Lebanon has remained a major source of income for the Lebanese state, and given this new information, it seems that it would be a substantial method to minimize the overall debt.