LEBANON PREPARING FOR RECORD TOURIST SEASON

Lebanese officials have indicated that the country is on track to experience a record tourist season in 2009, as 2008 saw the best season since the end of the civil war with more than 1.3 million tourists. Officials have cited that hotels have already surpassed 85 percent occupancy in Beirut, and that the number of tourists coming to Lebanon is anticipated to further increase this year. The country's tourism ministry is optimistic that more than 2 million visitors (the majority being Arabs but other nationalities as well to a lesser extent) will come to the country by the end of 2009. This increase comes in spite of ongoing political instability in Lebanon; despite the unrest and long-term concerns, Beirut ranked number 1 on the New York Times' top destinations for 2009 (the list was released in January 2009) as well as a top 10 cities list compiled by Lonely Planet. (07 Jul 2009)