BEIRUT  – For three consecutive seasons tourism revenue, once Lebanon’s lifeblood, was reduced to a trickle by violence and political uncertainty.  Reservations have begun pouring into this land of sun, sea and mountains, and a bumper tourism season is predicted after years of instability. There was a collective sigh of relief as calm returned last week after Lebanese leaders came to an agreement in Qatar that ended a long-running political crisis. "The ink on the Doha agreement wasn’t dry yet and the phones were ringing off the hook. From the Gulf, from Europe, from everywhere, we’re booked up until the end of the summer," said Mary Shwairy, head of public relations at the upscale Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut. "Tourism is bouncing back in a big way — short stays, long stays, conferences, weddings of returning Lebanese who live abroad," she added.  Caretaker Tourism Minister Joseph Sarkis said he expects this year’s figures to be the best for years. Since the Doha agreement there has been "a 30 percent increase in the number of expected tourists compared with last year. Hotels are hiring extra staff and the airlines are adding extra flights," Sarkis said. "Forty percent of the tourists are Arab, 25 percent are European and the rest are of various nationalities," he added. "Of the Arabs, 40 percent are Jordanian who come in large numbers since visa requirements were waived three years ago. They are followed by Saudis, Kuwaitis, Iraqis and Emiratis," he said.  Sarkis said Lebanese expatriates spend large sums of money when they return to the homeland.  "Nature and a love of life are Lebanon’s greatest attractions. The Arabs come for the refreshing climate, night clubs and restaurants… Europeans for the archaeological sites" such as Baalbek or Tyre.  In another sign of recovery kicking in, the popular Beiteddine and Baalbek music festivals, silenced for the past two summers, will return this year in July.  The Beiteddine and Baalbek festival organisers are also co-sponsoring a concert by Lebanese-born pop sensation Mika in Beirut on July 27.

By Yara Bayoumy Thu – Just a week after feuding Lebanese leaders sealed a political deal to end 18 months of conflict, restaurants have re-opened, hotel bookings have soared and tourists have replaced gunmen on the streets of Beirut.   "The deal has had an excellent impact. We’ve had a flood of reservations and we’re expecting a very good season," said Nizar Alouf, a member of the Lebanese Hotel Owners Association. It took months of agonizing negotiations — punctuated by bouts of violence that many feared would trigger civil war — to install a new president and form a government, but record time for Lebanon  to regain its standing as a top tourist spot. Now where an opposition tent city occupied large squares, paralyzing central Beirut and turning it into a ghost town, restaurants are bustling, open-air concerts are being held and gridlock traffic is back. It’s good to be back" and "It finally feels like people are living" are common utterances among the droves of Lebanese and tourists crowding the Parisian-style pavement cafes. Tourism Minister Joseph Sarkis said he expected between 1.3 million to 1.6 million visitors to Lebanon this year compared to around 1 million in 2007 and 2006 — violent years plagued by political assassinations, bombings and a war with Israel.