Tourists coming from certain countries will be able to visit Lebanon without paying for entry visas during "shopping month" from February 1 to March 15, the press reported Tuesday.
"The border points have received the order to issue entry visas free to people coming from countries who do not need advance clearance," according to a statement from the police headquarters, quoted by the press.
The countries concerned include the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates), Australia, Canada, several European countries and the United States.
The move does not however cover people coming to Lebanon for work reasons, according to the same source.
During "shopping month," which is organized by the economy and tourism ministries along with the private sector, hotels, restaurants, museums, shops and the national airline Middle East Airlines cut their prices by 50 percent to boost tourism. — (AFP, Beirut)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
