March 19- Lebanon will rank first internationally in terms of growth in the travel and hospitality industry this year, said the annual research report released for 2010 by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). According to the report, Lebanon’s travel industry will register a growth of 11.3 per cent in 2010 thanks to stable political and security conditions in the region.

Lebanon was ranked first worldwide in terms of the growth of its travel and tourism industry, followed by Qatar (10.9 percent), Sri Lanka (10.2 percent), Zimbabwe (9.2 percent), China (7.1 percent), Malawi (7.0 percent), India (6.9 percent), Denmark (6.9 percent), Cambodia (6.8 percent) and Namibia (6.8 percent).

The WTTC reports, which cover selected countries and regions, quantify all aspects of travel and tourism demand, consequently translating this information into economic concepts of production.