DUBAI: Vendors and other small scale curios sellers placed at the Sultanate's prime tourism spots are in an upbeat mood despite the chilling weather as wings of winter started seeing inbound tourists started coming to the Sultanate of Oman visiting its beautiful beaches, ancient forts. Oman's tourist numbers have enjoyed robust growth in recent years because of the global economic recovery and the importance given by the government for the tourism sector. A number of winter tourists have been arriving in the Dhofar region since the first flight from Sweden carrying 182 tourists from Scandinavian countries arrived at Salalah airport two months ago. As many as 26 weekly flights are currently being operated here from Stockholm until the end of April 2011. Over 4,000 tourists are expected during this season. Oman has been a major tourist attraction in the Middle East for the Europeans and other visitors from across the world. In recent years the number of tourists attracted to Oman's friendly people and heritage sites have increased manifold. “This season is the heyday for us”, says Abdul Fattah, owner of a shop that sells ancient curios at Muttrah souq told Oman Observer. “We, almost all of us, make nearly 3-4 times double business during the winter compared to the rest of the year.” Abdul Fattah, who inherited the shop from his father some ten years ago said, winter season the number of tourists visiting the souq is more than any other time during the year. As for Usman, who runs a coffee shop on the coastal side of Muscat, this is a period for multipled business. “We make very good business during this season as many visitors come to eat and drink in the road-side restaurants and every year, we renovate and keep our shop suitable to the tourists' choice”, Usman said. As far as the cruise tourism is concerned, the Ministry of Tourism has, well before the beginning of winter, made strategic plans to grab a significant share on the cruise tourism front taking on the examples from the cruising culture in Europe and the Americas which has strengthened the growth of the industry tremendously. With a coastline of over 3,000km, three major ports and several minor ports, Oman's maritime profile is waiting to be fully exploited. To evident this, a total of 76 cruise ships have called at Port Sultan Qaboos during the first half of the year, and as many as 265,624 passengers have embarked and disembarked during the first half of 2010. Statistics reveal that about 130 vessels with 150,000 tourists visited the Sultanate in 2009 (an increase of nearly 100 percent compared to 2008). It is not just Abdul Fattah or Usman who are making a better living during the winter tourism season. There are thousands of middle-class people who make a better living solely on winter tourism. While the souks and other places of interest are abuzz with keen explorers, multitude of people, we see them on the beaches, in the parks, behind the wheels, in tourist buses and almost everywhere. Tour operators, guides and hotels and many more are cheerful to see the visitors flocking on to the country to spent their winter holidays in Sultanate of Oman. Jabal al Akhdhar and Jabal al Shams are witnessing snow as the country is experiencing its coldest winter in a long time. Snow fell on the picturesque tourist spots in mountain ranges. It snowed in the mountain villages of Jabal al Shams, Jabal al Sharqi, Riyadh al Jabal Farm, Al Ghaleel, Al Al'eina and all areas of Jabal al Akhdhar. These are popular sightseeing areas located 240 km from Muscat. In the summer, the temperature is around 30 degrees C. It is one of Oman's most spectacular tourist areas. Unlike in the summer, when Jabal al Shams at 10,000 feet offers a pleasant temperature, in the winter months temperatures sometimes approach freezing. What tourists like most is a light dusting of snow during the winter which adds to the charm of Jabal al Shams. From the fabled snow fall in the Jabal Al Akhdar to the mountain peak of the Jabal Shams, the Sultanate of Oman hosts a few of nature's remaining wonders. One of such marvels is located on the pristine beaches of Ras al Jinz, where near extinct green back turtles are allowed to maintain their own habitat. Salalah, Oman's second city, known as the Frankincense Land showcases the contemporary Oman and the ancient Oman with many archaeological and historical sites like the remains of Queen of Sheba's palace. Oman is a country blessed with a rich heritage. Nowhere is this more evident than in its wealth of forts and castles, many of them set against backdrops of great natural splendor. These iconic edifices are a justifiable source of pride to the Omani people and a strong magnet to the ever-increasing number of visitors to the Sultanate. Strongholds of Heritage is a tribute to the glorious cultural heritage of Oman. Oman's forts, castles and watchtowers project their bold architectural outlines across the Sultanate of Oman in solid reminiscence of times past. More than a thousand in number, and found through the Sultanate, they have become a defining feature of the landscape. BM
