The tourism industry in Lebanon has been important to the local economy historically and comprises a major source of revenue for the country. From Stone Age settlements to Phoenician city-states, Roman temples to rock-cut hermitages, Crusader castles to Mamluk mosques and Ottoman hammams, the country's many historical landmarks and archaeological sites reflect thousands of years of world history. In addition, Lebanon has a history of cultural tourism. Outsider interest in Lebanese culture was especially stirred following the visits of European orientalists, scholars, and poets, particularly Alphonse de Lamartine, Ernest Renan, and Victor Guérin. Prior to the Lebanese Civil War, Lebanon was regarded as "The Switzerland of the Middle East", and Beirut was referred to as "The Paris of the Middle East", and as a financial hub. Casino du Liban reopened in 1996. The largest ski resort in the country was expanded and modernized. Lebanon's tourism industry also relies on Lebanese living abroad, who return regularly to the country during the summer season.

Citadels and forts

Old towns

Old towns still form the center or core of many Lebanese cities and towns. The majority of these old towns dot the coastline of Lebanon, with only a small number of them found in the country's interior.

Museums

Other major museums:

Religious tourism

Located in the heart of two major world religions, Christianity and Islam, Lebanon has a religious background with diverse traditions. Lebanon has been a refuge for persecuted religious groups for thousands of years, thus adding a vast amount of religious heritage to the country in both Christian and Islamic sanctuaries and holy places.

Anjar

Inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984, Anjar was a commercial center for Levantine trade routes. Being only 1,300 years old, Anjar is one of Lebanon's newer archaeological sites. It was founded by the Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid ibn Abdel Malek (in the beginning of the 8th century) and takes its name from the Arabic Ain Gerrah meaning "the source of Gerrah", related to the Umayyad stronghold founded in the same era. The city's wide avenues are lined with mosques, palaces, baths, storehouses, and residences. The city ruins cover 114,000 square meters and are surrounded by large, fortified stone walls, over two meters thick and seven meters high. The rectangular city design is based on Roman city planning and architecture, with stonework and other features borrowed from the Byzantines. Two large avenues – the 20-meter-wide Cardo Maximus, running north to south, and the Decumanus Maximus, running east to west – divide the city into four quadrants. At the crossroads in the center of the city, four great tetrapylons mark the four corners of the intersection.

Baalbeck

During the Phoenician era, Baalbek was a small village. Little remains of the Phoenician structures of the city, which was later named Heliopolis under the Hellenistic rule and extensively rebuilt by the Romans. After the arrival of the Romans to Phoenicia in 64 B.C., the city was transformed to a celebrated sanctuary where (Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury) and it was overlaid during a period of two centuries by a series of colossal temples. Modern-day visitors to Baalbek can enter the site through the Roman propylaea and walk through the two colonnaded courtyards to reach the complex's temples: Baalbek was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984.

Byblos

Byblos was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984. Inhabited since the Neolithic age, it witnessed the arrival of successive civilizations, from Phoenicians and Crusaders to Ottoman Turks. Byblos is a historical Mediterranean region dating back thousands of years and closely associated with the spread of the Phoenician alphabet. The main touristic sites in Byblos:

Qadisha Valley and Cedars Forest

Inscribed as a world heritage site in 1998, the Qadisha Valley and Cedars Forest (also known as the Forest of the Cedars of God) are considered important. The Qadisha valley was a settlement of early Christian monasticism, situated in a rugged landscape north of the Western Mountain Range of Lebanon. Near the valley lies the Cedars forest, a nature reserve dedicated to the preservation of the last Cedar trees, used in antiquity for the construction of Phoenician boats and religious buildings. List of monasteries in the Qadisha Valley: Other monasteries consist of the Monastery of Mar Girgis, with the Chapel of Mar Challita, the Monastery of Mar Yuhanna, the Monastery of Mar Abun, with the Hermitage of Mar Sarkis, and the Monastery of Mart Moura, Ehden.

Tyre

Tyre was inscribed as a world heritage site in 1984. It was the birthplace of the purple dye known as Tyrian purple and had founded several colonies in the Mediterranean such as Carthage and Cadiz. Many civilizations successively settled in Tyre from Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans to Crusaders and Ottoman Turks. Today, there are still remains mainly from the Roman era. Major archaeological sites in Tyre:

Ecotourism

Ecotourism in Lebanon has natural diversity and a range of outdoor activities. With a landscape consisting of mountains, forests, wildlife, beaches, snow-fed rivers, caves, valleys, and gorges, Lebanon is becoming more of an outdoor destination where people can visit its natural reserves and practice their ecotourism activities. Ecotourism activities and sports: Natural reserves:

Outdoors

Lebanon's nature and geography allow the practice of outdoor activities (mainly concentrated in the summer season). These activities are gaining more interest from nature lovers. Outdoor activities:

Winter sports

Winter sports are becoming more in demand due to the close geographical location of the mountain peaks from the Mediterranean sea. Winter sports include Alpine skiing and Cross Country in addition to paragliding, snowmobiling, and hiking.

Leisure

Lebanon has a 200 km of seashore with about 300 days of sunshine a year, making it a favorable destination for leisure and activities. Beaches and water parks: Orchid Beach Resort Art galleries: Zamaan Gallery - includes a collection of paintings by Lebanese and Middle Eastern artists (www.zamaangallery.com) Lebanon has a lottery system and Loto, operated by La Libanaise Des Jeux Official La Libanaise des Jeux.

Cuisine

The Lebanese cuisine, resembling Levantine cuisine with its own unique distinctions, combines the ingredients of the Middle and Far East with European cuisine. Its history dates back to pre-biblical times. Lebanese Restaurants: Mounir, Karamna, Leila, Al Balad, Kababji, and Al Halabi

Crafts

The production method of Lebanese crafts is mainly concentrated in small villages where the old skills are handed from generation to generation, produced from local raw materials. Different regions of the country specialize in various handicrafts such as basketry, carpet weaving, ceramics and pottery, copper and metalworking, embroidery, glass blowing, and gold and silver smithing. Some Lebanese villages are also known for their church bells.

Tourist destinations

Festivals

There is a range of festivals that take place in Lebanon, especially in the summer where festivities including both Lebanese and international performers take place in archaeological and historical sites, including Baalbek, Byblos, and Beiteddine. Major festivals: Baalbeck International Festival, Beiteddine Festival, and Byblos International Festival.

Statistics and economy

Tourism was once a very important contributor to Lebanon's economy, accounting for almost 20 percent of the GDP in the 2 decades before the start of the Lebanese civil war. Since the end of the war, the sector has managed to revive somewhat, but tourism has yet to return to its pre-war levels. Tourism in 1999 accounted for 9 percent of the GDP. In 2001, the tourism sector was one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy, with the number of tourists visiting Lebanon between 1996 and 2000 growing at the rate of 14 percent annually. In 2003 the tourism industry contributed 6.374 billion U.S. dollars to the Lebanese economy and in 2005 the receipts per capita reached 1,433 U.S. dollars. In 2004, the song "Libnan", written and performed by Lydia Canaan (who in 1997 was awarded the Lebanese International Success Award by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism), was the soundtrack of the advertisement "Rediscover Lebanon", produced and broadcast by CNN to over one-billion viewers and commissioned by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy & Trade to promote Lebanon as a tourist destination. In 2006 the ministry of Tourism counted 373,037 admissions to the country's main ministry run touristic sites. In 2009, Lebanon hosted about two million tourists, a record number, passing the previous 1974 record of 1.4 million tourists. The number of tourists grew by 39% over the previous year, the largest increase in any country according to the World Tourism Organization. Most of the increase is due to heightened political stability and security. Lebanon was also featured by several international media outlets, including the New York Times, CNN, and Paris Match, as a top tourist destination at the beginning of 2009. Lebanon's annual income from tourism reached $7 billion, about 20 percent of its gross domestic product, according to the Minister of Tourism. Despite the recent surge in popularity as a tourist destination, the United States along with a number of other countries continue to urge their citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon due to current safety and security concerns. The Beirut Museum of Art, or BeMA, is scheduled to open in 2026 and to feature Lebanese art that has been produced from the 19th century to the present.

1995-2011

On August 16, 2015, during the 7th session of the Joint Jordanian-Lebanese Higher Committee, Lebanese and Jordanian officials signed a five-year tourism partnership program which includes efforts to promote tourism in both countries.

Arrivals by country

Most visitors arriving to Lebanon were from the following countries of nationality: