Oman`s Ministry of Tourism is attending this year`s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) with the largest delegation it has ever fielded for a travel exhibition…
Oman`s Ministry of Tourism is attending this year`s Arabian Travel Market (ATM) with the largest delegation it has ever fielded for a travel exhibition.
The initiative is the clearest indication yet of the Sultanate`s focused commitment to building a solid GCC-wide tourist proposition since the Ministry was founded 12 months ago.
Heading the ATM delegation will be Undersecretary of Tourism, HE Mohsin Bin Khamis Al Balushi.
The Minsistry expects exceptionally high levels of intra-Gulf interest following a spate of new, large-scale, elaborate resort projects announcements including the spectacular, 700-room Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa near Muscat due to open later this year.
Oman`s second city Salalah, in the Dhofar region, some 1,000 kms south of Muscat, will be a key feature of the Sultanate`s intra-Gulf tourism thrust.
The Dhofar region is rich in archaeological sites including the ruins of the ancient city of Samhuran. It is also famed for its centuries old Frankincense trade but perhaps most unusually for a GCC city, it enjoys a pleasantly cool, balmy summer averaging around 25 degrees due the affects of the monsoon rains – the Khareef – which arrives during July and August.
Recent developments in Salalah include Oman`s first green golf course, the 9-hole Green Golf Course at the Crowne Plaza Resort.
Salim Mamary, Marketing Director for the Oman Ministry of Tourism said: Judging by the feedback we are getting from travel operators, consumers and the media, Oman is nearing the point at which it can be viewed as a heavyweight contender among the GCC`s more upscale travel destinations.
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