Lebanon is pinning hope for a recovery of its struggling tourism on a de-escalation of the tensions in the region this summer. As tourism accounts for a significant part of Lebanon's economy, many locals hope a possible de-escalation of regional tensions in the summer could help revive seasonal tourism plans, attract hesitant travelers, and restore consumer confidence. One key development this year is the return of tourists from Gulf countries, an essential driver of Lebanon's summer tourism. Shotlist: Beirut, Lebanon - Recent: 1. Various of traffic outside Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport; 2. Passengers inside airport; 3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Souad Zein, Lebanese citizen: "We're hopeful that everything will improve, and things will get better than before. We want all the expatriates to return and Arabs to visit again."; 4. Various of people waiting for arrival passengers; 5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Hassan Jaber, Lebanese expatriate: "I came from France to visit my family [members] and friends in southern Lebanon."; 6. Traffic; 7. Various of restaurants; 8. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Jean Abboud, president, Association of Travel and Tourist Agents in Lebanon: "The situation is definitely better than it was during the war. We were hoping that without the war, we could see the return of Emirati, Kuwaiti and Qatari tourists. And we hope that after Eid al-Adha, Saudi Arabia would also give its blessing so that Saudi tourists could come. We need the Arabs."; 9. Street, cars; 10. Various of hotel entrances; 11. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Mohammad Shamseddine, policy research specialist, Information International: "If the situation remains stable, we expect a good tourism season that will strengthen the economy and bring in large amounts of foreign currency. Assuming the average tourist spends 600 U.S. dollars, or even 1,000 to 1,500 U.S. dollars -- we're talking about 1-1.1 billion U.S. dollars during this season, which is a huge amount for a small economy like Lebanon's."; 12. Various of passengers inside airport. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]