Oman Air has announced the winners of its Media Awards 2016, which celebrates the best of German and Swiss travel and aviation writing and recognises writers' contibutions over the past five years to the success of Oman Air and the country.

The winners in each of the four categories were announced at ITB Berlin, the world’s leading travel trade show, on March 9. They were each presented with a framed reproduction of their reports, a certificate and a presentation case of traditional Omani silverware. In addition, an overall winner was chosen and was presented with two business class flights and five-star accommodation in Muscat.

The winners of the two magazine categories were Ina Volkmer and Tina Bremer, whilst Marko Roth won the blogger category and Harald Schmidt won the online media award. Harald Schmidt was also named as the overall winner.

Paul Gregorowitsch, chief executive officer of Oman Air, presented the awards. He said: “It has been an honour to host the Media Awards during ITB Berlin. They have enabled us to recognise both the exceptional talent at work within Germany‘s and Switzerland’s travel media, and the awe-inspiring source of inspiration that Oman provides for journalists.

“We would like to offer our sincere congratulations to each of the four winners., Ina, Tina Marko and Harald have all published outstanding print, online or video articles about Oman and we are delighted to recognise their work."

“We would also like to thank the very many other journalists throughout German-language media who have helped to raise awareness of Oman, celebrated the many wonderful attractions that the country offers to visitors, and set an extremely high standard in travel writing."

He added: “This year’s Oman Air Media Awards come at a crucial time for the Airline. We have currently embarked upon an ambitious expansion programme that will see Oman Air’s fleet increase in size to 70 aircraft by 2020. Over the last year, we have taken delivery of more Boeing 737 aircraft, and have unveiled the first two of our iconic new Boeing 787 Dreamliners. Oman Air’s expanded fleet will enable us to introduce a wide range of new routes to our network, adding to the 50 destinations to which we already fly.

“As a result of our expansion, Oman Air will be able to introduce many thousands more travellers from around the world to the unique and authentic charms that Oman offers to visitors. And many of those visitors will first hear about Oman, and Oman Air, via the media.

“The Oman Air Media Awards are designed to recognise and acknowledge the very best of that media coverage. We look forward to reading the many articles that we know will be published about Oman over the next 12 months and to recognizing future talent in the years to come.”

Each of the winning pieces provided readers and viewers with a wealth of information about Oman and how to get there. Ina Volkmer, writing in Laura magazine, brought the desert to life in a colourful article which also featured the food offered at Nizwa souk and the warm hospitality of the Omani people.

Tina Bremer’s feature, published in Swiss magazine Bolero, described the balance that the sultanate of Oman successfully walks between tradition and progress. It follows a road trip which takes in the capital city of Muscat and the modernity of the Royal Opera House, the rose gardens of Jabal Akhdar and a romantic desert camp.

Hospitality was again the focus of Harald Schmidt’s online feature for the reisestories.de travel website. Dr Schmidt was invited to stay with an Omani oil worker and to experience life in the Sultanate. His article is rich in information about Oman, it history and culture, whilst stressing the friendliness and hospitality offered by Omanis to their guests.

Marko Roth’s winning entry in the Bloggers category of the awards was an outstanding film about Oman, which was posted at easywriters.de.

Oman has long been a sought-after destination for air travellers from Germany and Switzerland. Oman Air offers direct flights to Muscat from Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich, as well as services from other European destinations, such as London, Paris and Milan. The sultanate offers German-speaking travellers a heartfelt welcome, together with a rich history, authentic culture and breathtaking scenery. In addition, Oman’s superb hotels and resorts sector continues to expand, providing guests with an enviable choice of accommodation and world-class cuisine. As a result, Germany and Switzerland provide a significant proportion of overseas visitors to Oman, and numbers continue to grow. - TradeArabia News Service