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3. Tourism: A Core Driver of Lebanon’s Economy

In 2024, the travel and tourism sector contributed 19.8% of Lebanon’s GDP, more than double its share in 2023 (8.4%), according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

This marks a significant rebound from 2019, when the sector represented 18.9% of GDP, before Lebanon faced a series of overlapping crises.

In terms of revenue, the sector generated 716.3 trillion Lebanese pounds in 2024, compared to 302.7 trillion in 2023 and 954.6 trillion in 2019. All figures are based on 2024 fixed exchange rates.

On the employment side, tourism supported 315,000 jobs in 2024, accounting for 19.6% of the total workforce. That is up from 298,578 jobs (18.6%) in 2023, although still below 416,600 jobs (23%) in 2019.

The outlook is also promising. The sector is expected to support:

• 344,900 jobs in 2025 (21.3% of total employment)

• 492,600 jobs in 2035 (25.2%)

These numbers confirm that tourism is becoming a strategic pillar of Lebanon’s economic recovery and job creation.