Oman hotels and airports profit from rise in tourism
Oman greeted over 1.4 million individuals through its airports.
Dubai: In January, revenues for hotel operators in Oman surged by 17 per cent to OR25 million (Dh238 million) as the number of passengers passing through the country's airports increased by over one-fifth.
Oman greeted over 1.4 million individuals through its airports in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar, and Duqm, as reported by data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
India led the rankings for passenger nationalities arriving at Muscat International Airport, with Bangladesh and Pakistan following behind.
In 2016, Oman initiated a 25-year strategy, Oman Vision 2040, aimed at dramatically increasing tourist arrivals from 2.6 million in 2015 to 11.7 million annually by 2040.
Oman aims to elevate tourism's contribution to GDP to 6 per cent, up from the current 2.6 percent, through initiatives such as hotel construction and the promotion of destination "clusters."
By the end of January, the total number of hotel guests surged by 20.5 per cent year-on-year to 215,660, as reported by the NCSI.
Among these guests, Omanis accounted for 75,219, followed by European visitors at 73,325, and Asian visitors at 27,191.
The tourism sector is poised to gain additional momentum following last year's announcement of a unified GCC-wide tourism visa set to be introduced in 2024 or 2025.
This visa will enable holders to travel freely across the gulf nations.