11/02/12, 00:13:25 EST

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Tourism Ministry Preparing Promotional Campaign

naharnet.com

Lebanese Tourism Minister Joe Sarkis has announced that his ministry is planning for a promotional campaign to attract tourists despite a shaky political situation.

Sarkis, at a press conference on Monday, announced that "the ministry is preparing for a new tourism plan with the World Tourism Organization." He said "despite the current circumstances, we are ready to prove our presence at all international tourism occasions" such as conferences and exhibitions. The tourism industry received a direct hit last summer during and after the 34-day Israeli offensive on the country. The industry is also suffering because of a shaky political situation that started on Dec. 1 with a Hizbullah-led sit-in in downtown Beirut. The anti-government camp has set up a tent city outside Premier Fouad Saniora's offices demanding his resignation. Seventy businesses in central Beirut have already closed their doors, leaving around 400 laid-off employees in the streets, according to restaurant union chief Paul Ariss. Sarkis said the UNWTO, which is the leading international organization in the field of tourism, expressed readiness to help Lebanon.

 Printable Version  | published Mar 06, 2007