Representatives of Turkish travel agencies met the Lebanese tourism minister on Friday.

Lebanon's Minister of Tourism Fady Abboud received representatives of 45 travel agencies, headed by Basaran Ulusoy, the chairman of the Association of Turkish Travel Agencies (TURSAB), in Beirut.

"Tourism and cooperation opportunities between the two countries have increased after visa procedures were lifted," Abboud said during the meeting.

Abboud said he wanted to see more Turkish citizens in his country, whereas Ulusoy said they should work to boost tourism between the two countries and invited Abboud to Turkey.

Earlier on Friday, TURSAB delegation met members of their Lebanese counterpart and sought ways to boost cooperation.

The delegation will depart from Beirut on Saturday.

Lebanon is the first stop of TURSAB, which aims to visit 60 countries in five years to improve Turkey's tourism.

Only 76,000 Lebanese people visited Turkey in 2009.

On January 11, 2010, Turkey and Lebanon decided to reciprocally lift visa procedures.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs & Emigrants Ali al-Shami signed the agreement on reciprocal removal of visa requirements.

Under the agreement, Turkish and Lebanese citizens will be exempt from visa reciprocally for their stay in each other's territories no longer than 90 days.


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