Furthermore, Lebanon enjoyed a considerable increase (+26%) on the already positive trend experienced in 2003, despite a politically rocky patch following the assassination of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Minister of tourism, Joseph Sarkis, described the new Beirut government's commitment to "enhancing the promotion of tourism in different sectors and encouraging investments in the country, in order to make Lebanon a first-class tourism destination in the Middle East" (quoted in Wells, 2006 at p. 48).

Even Jordan experienced healthy growth in tourism, and managed to overcome its losses from 2003; an enthusiastic managing director of Jordan's Tourism Board declared at the World Travel Market (WTM), Mazen Homoud, reported that, "As with all the countries that have seen terrorist attacks, the resilience and the professionalism of the (tourism) industry is already shining through and Jordan is back on track" (quoted in Wells, 2006 at p. 48). The proof is in the...
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