Travel to Lebanon and discover a country of great contrast and diversity both in the places you go to and in the people you meet. All regions of Lebanon are within easy reach of the exciting capital city, Beirut, famed for first class culture, fascinating history, its world-class restaurants and vibrant nightlife. Whether you travel among friends, family or even alone, Lebanon has something different for you.
Watch a unique video by Wissam Abdallah, showing the real side of Lebanon...
This has been something I have wanted to do since the first day of film school. I am lucky and proud to call myself an Australian and a Lebanese but having spent 9 years in Lebanon, from age 8 until age 17, means that Lebanon has a very special place in my heart. I feel like no matter how hard I try I couldn't possibly capture this amazing country's true beauty and essence but I gave it a shot. I only had a few days to film as much of Lebanon as possible. I tried to show a few different faces of Lebanon. Most people I know imagine Lebanon to be a backward conservative society torn by never ending conflict. That can't be further from the truth. The truth is that Lebanon is called 'The Paris of the Middle East' for a reason.
The tourism industry accounts for about 10% of GDP. Lebanon managed to attract around 1,333,000 tourists in 2008, thus placing it as rank 79 out of 191 countries. In 2009, the New York Times ranked Beirut the No. 1 travel destination worldwide due to its Unique Nightlife and Hospitality. In January 2010, the Ministry of Tourism announced that 1,851,081 tourists had visited Lebanon in 2009, a 39% increase from 2008. In 2009, Lebanon hosted the largest number of tourists to date, eclipsing the previous record set before the Lebanese Civil War. Tourist arrivals reached 2 million in 2010. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Japan are the three most popular origin countries of foreign tourists to Lebanon.
