Business | Tourism
Oman hopes to get more visitors
With Gulf and Arab holidaymakers shying away from swine flu-bound Europe, Oman is hoping to lure greater numbers of tourists to its annual summer festival due to kick off shortly in the south of the country.
- Staff Report
- Published: 22:54 July 5, 2009
Muscat: With Gulf and Arab holidaymakers shying away from swine flu-bound Europe, Oman is hoping to lure greater numbers of tourists to its annual summer festival due to kick off shortly in the south of the country.
The Salalah Tourism Festival, a celebration of the region's unique khareef or autumn climate, will begin on July 15 with a huge opening bash headlined by popular Arab singers.
Tens of thousands of Gulf visitors, mainly from the UAE, are expected to descend on Salalah over the coming weeks to enjoy a family holiday in balmy weather conditions far removed from the sweltering summer of the Arabian peninsula.
Oman's Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs, Sayyid Hamoud Bin Faisal Al Bu Saidi, will formally open the six-week tourism festival. The opening event will provide the audience with a foretaste of what the festival is all about.
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