The total number of tourists who visited the east Mediterranean country in June, 2007, reached 126,986 including 48,391 Arab tourists, the ministry's Research and Studies Department reported.

The Iraqis accounted for 29 percent of the number of Arab tourists as their number hit 14,129, followed by the Jordanians - 11,546, or 24 percent.

The Saudi tourists ranked third with their number put at 7,942.

The Europeans followed the Arab tourists as 41,013 of them visited Lebanon including 10,723 French nationals - 26 percent of the European tourists, and 8, 650 Germans accounting for 21 percent.

Tourists from North America ranked third with their number estimated at 14, 797, including 7,050 from the United States.

The number of tourists from other Asian countries stood at 14,534.

The figures indicate a 25.17 percent increase from 108,305 tourists who visited Lebanon in June, 2006, the ministry noted.

The Arab tourists also ranked first among the visitors of Lebanon in the first seven months of 2007 as their number in this period hit 202,898, accounting for 38 percent of the total number of tourists.

The Europeans came in second place with their number hitting 158,141, or 29 percent of the total number, according to the official statistics.

The Lebanese tourist sector was severely hit by political and security instability in the last three years which forced the cancellation of regular annual festivals such as Baalbak and Bait Eddin festivals. -Kuna