MUSCAT: Officials responsible for developing Oman's tourism strategy have announced the industry will be embarking on several new campaigns to attract additional visitors to the Sultanate in the coming season. The ambitious plans, which aim to take advantage of Oman's infrastructure and regulatory improvements, will see the Sultanate look to increase visitors from neighboring Gulf markets in the summer season, as well as expand beyond European markets for the country's high season - September to February. Speaking at this year's Arabian Travel Market (ATM) exhibition, held earlier this month in Dubai, Rajiha Abdul Ameer Ali, Oman's minister of tourism, officially launched Oman's "Summer Campaign", aimed at attracting guests from within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) during the off-peak summer months. "Oman's Summer Campaign is a highly competitive industry-wide initiative," she told delegates, adding "The ministry, Oman Air and our leading hotels, resorts and apartments have crafted packages for affordable short breaks, family and leisure holidays." According to the minister, the packages will offer heavily discounted airfares coupled with attractive accommodation rates, including all taxes. As an additional incentive they will include a free extra day for a weekend or longer booking. The minister's announcement follows on from comments made by Khalid Al Zadjali, the acting director of tourism events for the Tourism Ministry, during the Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) in Abu Dhabi this March. Al Zadjali described Oman as "an exciting niche destination" for meetings, incentives, conference and events (MICE), and added that the proposed new 6000+ seat convention centre in Muscat due for completion in 2013 would act as a "springboard" for MICE in the Sultanate. By expanding into both off-season travel and MICE, the ministry is clearly looking to enhance the economic benefits of the tourism sector in the economy. Tourism has for a long time held a significant place in the government's economic diversification strategy, which aims to reduce the Sultanate's reliance on oil and develop new growth sectors. However, in light of the global downturn last year, and with many other Gulf countries also expanding their tourism offerings, the sector has become highly competitive within the GCC. Speaking to regional magazine Gulf Business at the International Tourism Bourse in Berlin earlier this year, Haitham M Al Ghasani, the director of tourism in Oman's Tourism Ministry, claimed that the crisis did not impact on tourism in the Sultanate too greatly. "Many European tourists had booked their seats for Oman much before the crisis," he said, adding that, "Other countries of the GCC also provided good traffic." However, the crisis had nonetheless prompted the ministry to alter its strategy slightly. "We have learnt from the economic crisis that it is unwise to put all your eggs in one basket," Al Ghasani said. "We are no longer relying on Europe alone. We are looking at other regions as well." As a result of this new, expanded strategy, Oman is looking to add to existing tourism promotion offices in France, Germany and the UK, with new offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Scandinavia. Beyond traditional European markets, the Sultanate will also open branches in Russia, China, Japan and India. Despite suffering a setback last year, with the sector shrinking 8.3 percent according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Oman is nonetheless tipped by the organization to be the Middle East's number-one growth market this year, and number three globally. According to the WTTC's prediction, the sector is expected to see a compound annual growth rate of 7.8 percent over the next decade. Depending on the performance of the rest of the economy, this should see the tourism sector easily reach the 3 percent-of-GDP target set by the government, up from 1.6 percent - OR254 million ($661 million) - today, according to WTTC figures. For Oman's tourism industry, it would seem sunny days lie ahead. –This article was first published by Oxford Business Group on May 20, 2010.
