The number of incoming tourists to Lebanon totaled 175,859 in the first two months of 2015, constituting an increase of 20.5% from 145,891 tourists in the same period of 2014, a rise of 4.4% from 168,471 tourists in the first two months of 2013 and a drop of 9,1% from 193,383 tourists in the same period of 2012.
Arab tourists accounted for 37.5% of total visitors in the first two months of 2015, followed by visitors from European countries with 31.4%, the Americas with 13.8%, Asia with 9.4%, Africa with 5.2% and Oceania with 2.6%. Also, tourists from Iraq accounted for 14.8% of total visitors in the first two months of 2015, followed by visitors from France with 8.4%, the United States with 6.8%, Egypt with 6%, Jordan with 5.2% Canada with 4.7% and Saudi Arabia with 4.5%.
The number of visitors from Arab countries increased by 285 in the first two months of 2015, followed by visitors from Africa (+20.5%), Asia (+17%), Europe (+16.7%), Oceania (+16%),and the Americas (+14.4%).
In parallel, the number of tourists from the United Arab Emirates surged by 104.5% year-on-year in the first two months of 2015, followed by visitors from Saudi Arabia with a 104.3% rise, Kuwait (+64.6%), Turkey (+52.6%), Brazil (+31.6%), Iraq (+26.6%), Egypt (+17.2%), Canada (+16.8%), England (+16.2%). France (+16.1%), Sweden (+13.6%), the United States (+13.2%), Italy (+8.7%) and Germany (+7.5%).
In contrast, the number of visitors from Venezuela declined by 17% annually, while visitors from Jordan decreased by 1% year-on-year in the first two months of 2015.