Oman will be one
of the hottest destinations in 2008’
MUSCAT — Usama bin
Karim Al Haremi, head of Corporate Communications and Media
Department of Oman Aviation Services (Oman Air) said that Oman
is blessed with the most tempting natural locations in the Gulf,
and has started to take advantage of these possessions in
developing its tourism industry. Widely known as Arabia’s best
kept secret, Oman is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist
destination, and has emerged into the travel world enlightening
a land of friendly people and spectacular landscapes.
The Sultanate of Oman is a conservative country that is
concerned in developing tourism in a way that sits at ease with
these principles. He affirmed that as Oman encourages more
tourism, it is trying to preserve its ethnicities, like its
environment, national dress, markets, the turtles, and dolphins,
while using them as its major draw. He added that Oman is a
broadminded and tolerant nation and it will not take much effort
to experience the famous hospitality and generosity of spirit of
the Omani people.
He highlighted some of the many specialised outlets recounting
Oman’s tourism potentials.
In 2007, Sky News of UK recognised the Sultanate of Oman as one
of The Hottest New Travel Destination. Under the heading
‘Deserts, Caves, Diving...Visit Oman’, they asked over in their
programme “Are you adventurous, love the outdoors and looking
for a new experience? Then head for one of the hottest
destinations on the holiday list — The Sultanate of Oman. Oman
is a breathtaking country with a diverse landscape of fjords,
deserts, pristine reefs, and rugged mountains — a perfect
playground for outward-bound types”. Sarah Modlock, whose
articles has been, published in nearly every national newspaper
in the UK as well as specialist publications and websites
worldwide, listed Oman as one of the top 10 places to visit
during 2007. She said: “Oman is an up and coming new destination
for the new year and has much more culture on offer than current
Middle East favourite, Dubai”.
The Musandam peninsula is dubbed ‘Norway of the Middle East’ and
has it own sandy beaches. The Evason Hideaway & Six Senses Spa
at Zighy Bay is scheduled to open at the end of May.
Also, The Columbus World Travel Guide of UK that is known as
‘the Bible of the Travel Industry’ which was first published 26
years ago and sold in over 90 countries worldwide, listed Oman
among its hot destinations for 2007. “Travellers to the Middle
East seeking an alternative to Dubai, are increasingly heading
for Oman, which offers stunning unspoilt scenery (think deserts,
tranquil oases, rugged mountains and peaceful beaches) and rich
cultural heritage, with friendly locals and year-round sunshine
thrown in for good measure”. Ohmy News, the South Korean online
newspaper that attracts up to 800,000 unique visitors and up to
2 million page views a day in its article “Oman Tourism on
Growth Trajectory — Numerous projects in the works to boost
infrastructure” The long article highlighted in details the
government’s initiatives to boost tourism.
The interdiction read, “Tourism has become a major focus in the
development policy of the Sultanate of Oman since the mid-1990s,
when the government embarked on the diversification of the
national economy from oil to non-oil revenue sources.
The tourism sector has been one of the important components of
“Oman 2020”, a visionary plan for Oman’s economic growth that
was launched and adopted as the long-term development strategy
for the country”. Erika Wang of The China Post in his article
“Oman: A politically stable and open-minded country” said that
since the 1970 accession of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said,
Oman’s economy has been radically transformed to encourage
market-oriented policies and private sector development. Oman
tourism potentials had been highlighted too. Currently, hottest
destinations for 2008 have been identified, and Oman remains to
be a hot spot destination. Britain’s tour operators have
identified the Middle East as the must-visit destination for
next year, according to the Guardian.
Tom Robbins in his article titled “What will be the hottest
destination for 2008” — The Observer, Sunday December 9, 2007 —
quoted Tom Barber, founding director of Original Travel, whose
most popular destination is now Oman saying, ‘Ironically, all
the recent problems in the Middle East have actually made people
more aware of the region, and rather than putting them off, they
have become fascinated,’ he said. ‘We see it kind of spreading
out — people started in Dubai, then they looked over and got
interested in Oman.’ Demand is also being driven by the swathe
of luxury hotels opening in the region for the first time. In
February, for example, the latest property in the Six Senses
Hideaway portfolio opens at Zighy Bay in northern Oman’s remote
Musandam peninsula. Guests will choose whether to arrive by
speedboat, a 4x4 trip through the Hajar Mountains, or as a
passenger in a paraglider. Original Travel predicts Musandam
peninsula, will be ‘enormous’ in 2008. Al Haremi notified that
in 2003, 2005, and 2006, Original Travel won awards at the
Guardian and Observer Travel Awards and also the Marketing
Magazine Awards. He acknowledged that the renowned writer Tom
Robbins travelled recently to Oman for a weekend in the Empty
Quarter and wrote his article Space, the final frontier
published in The Observer – Travel — Sunday October 21, 2007.
Founded in 1950, The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA)
the regulatory body for British Travel Agents, the largest trade
body for tour operators and travel agents outlined 2008 holiday
destination trends where Oman was included. According to ABTA
Oman is Arabia’s fastest growing, greenest destination and has
added more luxury resorts, also has two of the world’s best
hotels in the capital Muscat – the Chedi and the newly
refurbished palatial Al Bustan.
Over 85 per cent of package holidays in the United Kingdom are
sold through ABTA members. Matthew Brace, an award-winning
37-year-old travel writer/journalist, has been a reporter and
foreign correspondent for the British national press for over a
decade and now runs an international copywriting agency and
media consultancy, mattbracemedia. He writes travel regularly
for the Sunday Telegraph and The Australian and in the UK for
The Times, CNN Traveller, and Wanderlust.
In his Hot List 2008: Experience A World of Exotic Difference —
which was vastly circulated by Australian Media outlets and
specialised websites – he said: “Our appetite for exotic,
adventurous, and historical travel is growing rapidly, according
to both the travel industry insiders and travellers themselves.
As far as destinations go, my travel thermometer tells me the
following are seriously hot: Oman was listed where he said,
“Oman has had its first year of real tourism growth and will
remain a travel hotspot. Plunge headfirst into the Mutrah Souk
in Muscat to shop for fizzing bowls of frankincense and myrrh.
Stroll along the Corniche in the warm evening, in the footsteps
of centuries of merchants from Asia, Europe, and the Middle
East. Take a dhow cruise through the secret fjords of the
Musandam peninsula and camp under the stars. Hike high in the
western Hajar mountains or explore beneath them in vast cave
systems.
Or head south to Salalah and follow the frankincense trail. Al
Haremi gave notice that earlier this year; Euromonitor
International’s Travel And Tourism in Oman report identifies
Oman as a new luxury hotspot that is experiencing robust growth
in tourism. Oman’s natural landscape includes a long coastline,
majestic deserts, several mountain ranges, and a lush southern
region. Increasing awareness of Oman, new hotels and resort
facilities and the development of more destination activities
will help drive tourist arrivals.
A mention in Condé Nast Traveller the report pointed out is the
kind of endorsement and publicity money cannot buy and will go a
long way in raising Oman’s profile among its target market. A
development boom is underway in Oman, the Sultanate has
announced several mega projects.
Oman’s development boom is concurrent with the government’s push
to increase tourism. All these investments, directly or
indirectly, will give a boost to the Omani tourism industry. The
Government in the Lead report stated, and that Oman’s government
is one of the most pro-active bodies in the region in terms of
promoting tourism development.
Source:
http://www.timesofoman.com/echoice.asp?detail=13252
