The Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on International and Lebanese Tourism Indicators

Abstract

The evolution of tourism has been characterized in recent years worldwide by a trend of growth as a result of the favorable influence of economic, social, demographic and political factors. This upward trend in international tourism, even in periods of social, economic and political unfavourable, has led to tourism being considered one of the most dynamic economic sectors. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the travel and tourist business were substantially underestimated from the onset of the COVID-19 problem in China. In spite of the massive impact, the tourism industry is trying to put together resources and finding ways to stay financially stable during this period. The present study attempts to explore the trend of several statistical indicators of international tourism and to present the current situation in Lebanon, a country that faced both the effects of COVID-19 restrictions, but also economic issues generated by the political instability and the Beirut Port explosion in 2020. The findings show a dramatical decrease in all indicators analysed in 2020 compared to 2019 at international level and in Lebanon.

Keywords

• coronavirus crisis
• development
• international tourism
• tourism indicators
• tourism industry