Travel and Tourism - Oman - August 2008

Travel and Tourism - Oman - August 2008

About this report

A striking country with a diverse mix of mountain, desert, sweeping coastlines and plentiful historic sites, Oman has a lot to offer tourists. Compared to many other Middle Eastern destinations, tourism is still very much in its infancy, but this is changing fast. Tourism has been identified as a key area for expansion and the government is taking a very proactive approach to promoting tourism development, encouraging foreign and private investment, and aggressively marketing its product, with its claim to being the ‘authentic Arabia’ a major selling point. The country is currently experiencing a tourism development boom.

It is only in recent years that Oman has opened up to tourists. Until the 1980s, visitors had to obtain a ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC), through an Omani sponsor, a system devised by Said bin Taimur, the father of the current Sultan Qaboos bin Said. When the British-educated Sultan Qaboos overthrew his restrictive father in 1970 in a non-violent coup, he started work on slowly modernising the country, gradually opening it up to foreign visitors, with the first group of organised tourists arriving in 1983.

Contents

Sultanate of Oman
Introduction
Data Sources
Background
History
Geography
Attractions
Tourism and the Economy
Figure 1: International tourism receipts (US$ million) in Oman, 1990-2005
Arrivals
International
Figure 2: Inbound visitors to Oman by nationality, 2003-06
Figure 3: Foreign guests in hotels, 2003-07
Figure 4: Total guests in hotels by nationality, 2003-07
Domestic
Market Characteristics
International
Purpose of visit
Figure 6: Inbound visitors to Oman by main purpose of visit, 2003-06
Figure 7: Purpose of visit, by nationality, 2006*
Seasonality
Length of stay
Figure 8: Tourist nights in hotels, 2003-07
Domestic
Transport
Air
Figure 9: Traffic statistics at Muscat International Airport, 2000-07
Figure 10: International aircraft movements and passengers at Seeb (Muscat) International Airport, 2004-07
Figure 11: Domestic aircraft movements and passengers at Seeb (Muscat) International Airport, 2004-07
Figure 12: Traffic statistics at Salalah Airport, 2000-07
Road
Rail
Sea
Accommodation
Figure 13: Number of hotels, rooms and beds, 2003-07
Figure 14: Hotels in Oman, 2004-06
Figure 15: Total rooms available by star rating, 2000-06
Figure 16: Hotel occupancy rates by star rating, 2000-06
Tourism News
What Next?