Since 2019, Lebanon has been going through one of the worst socio-economic crises in the history of the world since 1850, according to the World Bank.
The national currency has lost more than 90% of its value and around 80% of the Lebanese population is plunged into poverty.
"This summer is promising!" Walid Nassar, Lebanese Minister of Tourism, told AFP.
"We are expecting over a million tourists and revenues of nearly 3.5 billion US dollars (about 3.3 billion euros) this summer."
According to the minister, about 75% of the tourists expected this summer are Lebanese from the diaspora who return to the country to visit their relatives.
"The remaining 25% are foreigners mainly from Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Gulf countries," Nassar said.
Tourism was a pillar of the Lebanese economy before 2019, generating around 10 billion dollars (nearly 9.5 billion euros) in revenue per year.
But the economic crisis, followed by the Covid-19 epidemic and the deadly explosion in the port of Beirut which devastated the capital, killing more than 200 people and injuring thousands, completely wiped out the tourist sector.
"Some hotels have closed in Beirut, but more than 120 guesthouses have opened across the country and prices for tourist services are competitive" compared to neighboring countries, Nassar said.
The minister also wanted to be reassuring on the security issue, affirming that the "situation is stable" in the country which remains technically in a state of war with Israel.
"Officials know how important the success of this summer season is" for the country's economy, he added.
© 2022 AFP