Jean Aboud, the president of the Travel and Tourism Offices Syndicate, revealed in a statement today that "the average number of travelers arriving at Rafic Hariri International Airport - Beirut daily is around 14,000 visitors." He expected, "if the movement remains as it is, the summer season of 2024 will resemble last summer's season." Aboud confirmed that "as of today, between 85 and 90 planes arrive at Beirut Airport daily, with an occupancy rate exceeding 96%." He noted that "Middle East Airlines and other companies are adding extra flights to accommodate demand for various destinations."
He disclosed that "bookings in July and August are still on the rise, especially since these two months represent the peak of the summer season." He pointed out that "the results for June were positive, with the number of arrivals exceeding 420,000 visitors during that month," considering that "this is a significant number and is somewhat close to the levels recorded last year."
Aboud stated, "If the ongoing de-escalation in the region succeeds, this summer season will be better than last year." He highlighted that "most destinations from which travelers come to Lebanon, outside of the primary Gulf countries, such as Dubai and Riyadh which have additional flights, include Madrid, Paris, London, and Germany, where arrivals from America use these airports to transfer to Lebanon."
He mentioned that "Arab tourists account for about 25% of the total arrivals, and their nationalities remain the same as last year, namely Jordanians, Iraqis, and Egyptians." During the Eid al-Adha holiday, there was an influx of some Gulf nationals, particularly Kuwaitis. He also pointed out that European tourists, following the events of October 7, still have minimal movement in coming to Lebanon.
