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Oman guest numbers down 3pc till Sept: report

MUSCAT, January 7, 2016

Oman recorded 819,607 guests across the sultanate's three- , four- and five-star hotels during the first nine months of 2015, a 3 per cent decline from the previous year during the same period, said a report.

The occupancy levels declined 6.7 per cent from 58.6 per cent in September year-to-date (YTD) 2014 to 54.7 per cent during September YTD 2015, said a report released by PKF Consulting, an international firm of management consultants and industry specialists.

In efforts to diversify the economy away from oil, Oman's government, together with the Ministry of Tourism, has launched a number of initiatives aimed at promoting the variety of attractions and activities the country has to offer.

For example, Oman is strengthening its position as a globally renowned sailing venue, given its favourable environment, sailing facilities and management resources. Furthermore, the country has started a worldwide marketing campaign in anticipation of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre opening in 2016; the development is envisioned to boost the business travel segment in Muscat, the report said.

Air Oman has expanded its network of routes significantly during the third quarter of 2015. The flight frequencies to four key destinations in India (Goa, Bangalore, Kochi and Jaipur) were increased, which targeted both tourists from these countries and resident expatriates. New flights were also added to the Manila, Singapore and Jakarta routes. In addition, the airline has introduced new destinations during the last three months, such as Frankfurt and Dhaka.

As far as the new hotel supply is concerned, Rotana aims to introduce 1,500 hotel keys to Muscat, Sohar and Salalah by 2020 in three-, four- and five-star segments. This will account for 9.7 per cent of the current 15,400 keys across the market in Oman. In addition, Millennium & Copthorne Hotels has signed an agreement to operate a five-star property adjacent to Muscat Grand Mall, it said. – TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Oman | Muscat | tourism |

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