Image via Shutterstock
Major airline expansion and a range of new hotel openings will fuel steady growth for Oman, said Oman Ministry of Tourism undersecretary Her Excellency Maitha Al Mahrouqi at WTM.
“We have enjoyed a steady growth of between 10% and 20% year on year,” she said. “By the end of 2016, with the expansion of the airports in Muscat and Salalah and more rooms coming to market, I think we can go up to 25%.”
Worldwide visitor numbers in 2013 reached nearly 1.4 million, with nearly 134,000 from the UK.
Muscat’s international airport will see its current capacity of four million tripled to 12 million by 2016, and in the south, the airport at Salalah will grow to three million during the same period.
Flag carrier Oman Air will expand its fleet with a range of new aircraft, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and is opening new routes – this year saw flights launching between Muscat and Manila and Jakarta.
Recent hotel openings include the five-star Alila Jabal Akhdar and the Salalah Rotana Resort. Next year will see the launch of the desert resort Dunes by Al Nahda, followed by properties from Kempinski and Fairmont, which are part of The Wave, a major tourism development near Muscat.
The Ministry of Tourism is actively courting the cruise market with upgraded port facilities in Khasab and Salalah, alongside the ongoing transformation of the port in Muscat, which will see the current facility dedicated to the leisure market, with all freight moved to a different location. Oman has joined with Dubai and Abu Dhabi to create Cruise Arabia, a multi-country initiative to promote the destination to the cruise sector.
Niche markets including wellness and spa, and the MICE market, are also being targeted. A new Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre will open in 2016.
A range of events in 2015 will also attract visitors, including a new long distance vintage car rally, plus a range of celebrations for the 45th anniversary of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said’s reign.