Tourism
From The Report: Oman 2020
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Blessed with scenic wadis (valleys), natural caves, islands, beaches and mountain ranges, and known for its ancient culture and hospitality, Oman has a lot to offer tourists. Its expanding economy and reputation for stability also draws visitors for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions from the region and beyond. The sector is central to government efforts to diversify the economy, and authorities have worked in recent years to streamline regulations and fast track infrastructure developments to facilitate visitors, such as building a new international airport and convention centre in Muscat. A steady stream of private investment in the hospitality sector is also contributing to improved services.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Sight to see: Marketing campaigns and affordable hotels attract new tourists
OBG
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Blessed with scenic wadis (valleys), natural caves, islands, beaches and mountain ranges, and known for its ancient culture and hospitality, Oman has a lot to offer tourists. Its expanding economy and reputation for stability also draws visitors for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) from the region and beyond. The sector is central to government efforts to diversify the economy, and authorities have worked in recent years to streamline regulations and fast-track infrastructure…

Analysis

Adrenaline rush: Adventure activities, sports and events, and cultural heritage are looked to as new drivers of growth
OBG
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Niche tourism is a key feature of the National Tourism Strategy 2040 (NTS) created by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) and the National Programme for Economic Diversification (Tanfeedh), the two initiatives that have guided the sector since 2016. Examples of niche segments include sports – sailing, fishing and adventure sports – as well as ecotourism, wildlife tourism and heritage tourism. “Of all the sectors targeted under Tanfeedh, tourism is in the best position to reduce economic dependency…

Overview

Room to manoeuvre: The hospitality sector is expanding and evolving to support growing numbers of international travellers
OBG
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Aided by easier and cheaper travel, global tourism has experienced two decades of almost uninterrupted growth. According to the World Bank, the number of international departures more than doubled between 1997 and 2017, from 687m to 1.57bn per annum. With the global middle class estimated by the US-based think tank Brookings Institution to be expanding by as many as 160m people per year until 2021, it is perhaps unsurprising that almost half of the growth in tourist numbers was accounted for by departures from lowand middle-income countries, which increased from 121m in 1997 to 564m in 2017. Significant growth was also recorded in the…

Overview

Room to manoeuvre: The hospitality sector is expanding and evolving to support growing numbers of international travellers
OBG
plus

Aided by easier and cheaper travel, global tourism has experienced two decades of almost uninterrupted growth. According to the World Bank, the number of international departures more than doubled between 1997 and 2017, from 687m to 1.57bn per annum. With the global middle class estimated by the US-based think tank Brookings Institution to be expanding by as many as 160m people per year until 2021, it is perhaps unsurprising that almost half of the growth in tourist numbers was accounted for by departures from lowand middle-income countries, which increased from 121m in 1997 to 564m in 2017. Significant growth was also recorded in the…