Nejmeh Square, in downtown Beirut, where the Parliament is located. (Credit: Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient-Le Jour)
Tourism Minister Laura al-Khazen Lahoud briefed President Joseph Aoun on the ministry's plan for the upcoming tourist season, ahead of the approaching arrival of tourists to Lebanon in summer, the Presidency said in a post on X on Thursday.
وزيرة السياحة، لورا الخازن لحود، أطلعت الرئيس عون على خطة الوزارة للموسم السياحي المقبل، لا سيّما مع اقتراب وصول السيّاح إلى لبنان
— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) May 15, 2025
After ramped-up diplomatic efforts succeeded in easing travel restrictions to Lebanon, President of the Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon (ATTAL) Jean Abboud said Wednesday that he believes there is a "promising summer season" ahead that reminds him of the "prosperous years" of tourism in Lebanon in the early 2000s.
Aoun's visits to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait and the decisions taken in Saudi Arabia amid the ongoing Saudi-U.S. talks signal a potential easing in restrictions on Lebanon's tourism industry. The UAE lifted its travel ban to Lebanon on May 7, marking what appears to be a broader thawing in ties between Lebanon and Gulf states after years of strained relations.
In a lengthy speech delivered at the U.S.-Saudi Economic Forum during his official visit to Riyadh, U.S. President Donald Trump said he is "ready to help Lebanon," praising the newly elected and appointed Lebanese authorities and calling for a "more productive partnership with the United States."
In a statement relayed by the state-run National News Agency, Abboud praised “the measures taken to facilitate the movement of travelers at Beirut's international airport, especially those arriving in Lebanon in preparation for the summer season."