MIDDLE EAST - Lebanon ranks as the Arab country most dependent on tourism as a share of its economy, according to statistics released by International Information, with the sector contributing 19.8 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
The tourism industry generates approximately $4.7 billion in annual revenues for Lebanon, highlighting its critical role in sustaining the economy amid ongoing financial challenges and instability.
The figures place Lebanon ahead of Jordan, where tourism contributes 14.6 percent of GDP and generates around $7.4 billion, and the United Arab Emirates, where the sector accounts for 13 percent of the economy with revenues reaching nearly $70 billion.
Morocco records tourism revenues of $16.7 billion, representing 8.5 percent of GDP, while Tunisia generates around $2.9 billion, accounting for 9 percent of its economy. Qatar’s tourism sector contributes approximately $15 billion, or 8 percent of GDP, while Saudi Arabia records the region’s highest tourism revenues at nearly $81 billion.
The data underscores Lebanon’s heavy reliance on tourism as a primary economic driver and a major source of foreign currency, employment, and seasonal business activity.
