BEIRUT - Elie Marouni, Tourism Minister said that tourist statistics show the increase for July 2008 reached 97 percent compared to July 2007 for tourists from Arab states, and 70.5 percent of the total.

In an interview with al-Mustaqbal newspaper, he said that by the end of Ramadan, the percentage of reservations in Beirut and Mount Lebanon hotels would reach 80 percent of capacity.

The Minister recognized that these developments were related to political and security stability.
M. Marouni explained that Lebanon has proved that it is a “phoenix” after the May 7 events. “We thought that no Arab and foreign tourists will enter Lebanon, however the number surpassed one million tourists and emigrants,” he said.

Elie Marouni called on all Lebanese leaders to regard the role of tourism in reinforcing the Lebanese economy adding that in 2007, tourists spent more than 5 billion dollars in Lebanon.