2006 press releases
USAID Transfers Tourism Website to the Ministry of Tourism
June 13, 2006The www.destinationlebanon.com website was initially funded by the United States Agency for International Development – USAID, under the Expanded Economic Opportunities program. Developed by SRI International, the website features useful information for tourists on Lebanon’s rural areas, restaurants, alternative lodgings, hotels, tour operators, historical, cultural, religious and archeological sites.
As the website will be hosted at the Ministry of Tourism and will become Lebanon’s national tourism website, its address will change from www.destinationlebanon.com to become www.destinationlebanon.gov.lb.
USAID funds numerous projects that promote rural tourism in Lebanon and create jobs outside the major cities. Such projects include establishing a Lebanon Mountain Trail running from the north to the south, promoting cottage inns in rural areas, strengthening the hospitality sector and supporting tourism on a national scale through interactive maps, promotional events and a national tourist information center.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has worked in Lebanon since 1951, funding development projects to benefit Lebanese citizens. USAID’s program promotes economic opportunities, job creation, good governance and environmental policies and practices in rural Lebanon. USAID provides $40 million assistance a year and works in partnership with U.S. and Lebanese organizations throughout the country. USAID strengthens the relationship between the people of Lebanon and the people of the United States, and promotes a shared vision of democracy and socio-economic development.
For more information about USAID’s projects in Lebanon, visit USAID’s web site www.usaidlebanon.org.lb.
