Cosmetic surgery tourism popular in Lebanon скачать в хорошем качестве

Cosmetic surgery tourism popular in Lebanon

(11 Nov 2016) STORY Lebanon is establishing itself as a popular destination for tourists to get cosmetic surgery because of the expertise of its doctors. Despite travel bans imposed by some Gulf states, Lebanese authorities are now looking at ways to expand the cosmetic tourism sector. Doctor Nader Saab has long had a dream to stop foreign tourists from going to Europe or America for cosmetic surgery and to get them to come to Lebanon instead. And despite bans by many Gulf states on their residents travelling to Lebanon "for their own safety", it appears Saab's dream is becoming a reality. He treats three or four foreign patients every day at his clinic. Most come from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait. But Saab has also treated customers from as far as Australia and Sweden. "We have the required professionalism. We have the expertise to get great results in plastic surgery. As we know, Beirut is the capital of fashion and beauty. It is a must to have plastic surgery in order to continue the art that exists in the Arab world and in Lebanese creativity," he explains. Lebanon has long been regarded the "Middle East Hospital" because of the expertise of its doctors. But the country's institutions have been crippled by a long-running vacuum in the Lebanese presidency, only recently resolved with the election of Michel Aoun. And the impact of the war neighbouring Syria has made it a less than popular tourist destination in general. Surgeons in Lebanon report a drop in the number of foreigners coming for treatment over the last three years. But cosmetic health tourism is surviving and Lebanese Tourism Minister Michel Pharaon says they need to find ways to grow the sector. "Through the means we have at our disposal we do have medical tourism which could nevertheless be increased. We are trying to highlight ways of growing this tourism industry because the main hospitals in Lebanon are fully occupied and they can't accommodate any more patients," he says. Saab is actively trying to grow this area of his practice. He runs a branch office in Dubai and has built a hotel next to his Beirut clinic. Lebanon will need to more initiatives like those to keep the cosmetic surgery tourists coming. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...