Tourism
From The Report: Oman 2019
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Encompassing some of the most spectacular sites in Arabia, a fascinating ancient culture and a worldwide reputation for hospitality, Oman has advantages as a leisure destination. At the same time, the country is an important regional economy with a thriving business sector, which has strengthened its position as a centre for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions. Oman is also regarded as a place of stability and impartiality in MENA, making it an ideal gathering ground. Unsurprisingly, then, the tourism sector continues to flourish. Despite the general economic downturn in the region, robust growth has been logged over the last few years and more is promised.

This chapter contains an interview with Peter Walichnowski, CEO, Oman Tourism Development Company.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Feeling at home: Officials are taking a multi-pronged approach to increase the appeal of domestic offerings
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Encompassing some of the most spectacular sites in Arabia, a fascinating ancient culture and a worldwide reputation for hospitality, the sultanate of Oman has a lot of advantages as a leisure destination. At the same time, the country is an important regional economy with a thriving business sector, which has strengthened its position as a centre for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). Oman is also regarded as a place of stability and impartiality in MENA, making it…

Interview

Lifting standards: Peter Walichnowski, CEO, Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran), on widening offerings and boosting foreign investment
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Interview: Peter Walichnowski How is Omran helping to bolster the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)? PETER WALICHNOWSKI: The participation and growth of SMEs in the tourism sector is a very important part of Vision 2040, and there are a number of programmes and funding vehicles in place to support SMEs. Omran has an active in-country value strategy whereby we include SMEs and local suppliers in the procurement and management phases of our projects, outsourcing to local businesses…

Analysis

Good nights: New hotels are coming on-line across the sultanate
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With Oman experiencing sustained growth in tourism arrivals, recent years have seen the concurrent expansion of lodging options. Indeed, between 2013 and 2017 the number of hotels increased by 35%, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI). Alternative accommodation – such as aparthotels and short-term holiday lets – is also becoming more visible in the market. Occupancy rates are on the lower side for the time being, hovering at an average of between 50%…

Analysis

Opening the gates: Expanding the list of nations eligible for unsponsored tourist visas
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Muscat’s bustling new international airport, which opened in March 2018, not only boasts a greater number of terminal concourses, boutique shops and restaurants, but also enhanced visitor-processing facilities. More spacious entry halls and new queuing systems have been built, and rows of e-gates supplement the normal passport control stations. For many, gaining entry to Oman involves obtaining a visa of some kind, either prior to arrival or at the airport. This had sometimes been a cumbersome…

Analysis

In the neighbourhood: GCC nationals are the target of new promotions
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While recent years have seen steady growth in arrival numbers from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania, Oman’s principle source market remains much closer to home. According to a report released in February 2018 by Colliers International, the Middle East has historically provided over half of arrivals to the sultanate, accounting for 58% of total visitors in 2017. Nationals from the GCC, specifically, represented the largest slice of the pie, at 48% of all visitors. Colliers also forecast…

Overview

Meeting expectations: Security and engagement key to further growth in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry
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Countries and regions across the world have long understood the potential of the MICE segment as a vehicle to drive high-value tourism and economic development. In recent decades this has led to significant investment, with nations working to position themselves as centres for the industry, both regionally and globally, aided by greater air connectivity. At the same time, the industry has been shaped by new technologies and rising security concerns, as well as budget constraints brought on by such things as the 2008 global financial crisis and the lower oil price environment that emerged in mid-2014. Nonetheless, there are plenty of reasons…

Overview

Meeting expectations: Security and engagement key to further growth in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry
OBG
plus

Countries and regions across the world have long understood the potential of the MICE segment as a vehicle to drive high-value tourism and economic development. In recent decades this has led to significant investment, with nations working to position themselves as centres for the industry, both regionally and globally, aided by greater air connectivity. At the same time, the industry has been shaped by new technologies and rising security concerns, as well as budget constraints brought on by such things as the 2008 global financial crisis and the lower oil price environment that emerged in mid-2014. Nonetheless, there are plenty of reasons…