The Ministry of Tourism showcased a number of exciting “Discover Oman’s Beauty” packages that are being offered to residents of Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM), which was held in Dubai last month.

Oman is rapidly establishing itself as a year-round tourist destination and the summer period, in particular, can be a perfect time to visit the multi-faceted country that offers a monsoon season and cooling mountain escapes, fun-filled water sports experiences for families and an incredible array of cultural and heritage experiences.

The Ministry of Tourism, together with its airline partner Oman Air and a number of leading hotels and travel agents, has created a series of special packages at highly competitive prices that include tickets and accommodation in various resorts, providing a variety of authentic Arabian adventures and fun-filled family activities for visitors from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Ministry also used its presence at the ATM to talk about its plans to more than double the number of international tourists visiting the sultanate over the next two decades as part of its new national 2040 Tourism Strategy. The Ministry has also revealed that the growth strategy for the tourism sector is going to be based upon an innovative “cluster” approach that will create a series of unique tourism experiences in different areas of Oman, reflecting its local culture and heritage. The strategy is also aimed at working closely with private sector partners to ensure the right infrastructure of accommodation; restaurants; transportation and other key elements are in place to boost the attraction of each cluster and create more local employment.

During the three-day event, the Ministry also shared details regarding the newly established Oman Convention Bureau and how it will enable Oman to become a major regional centre for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE).

ATM also provided the perfect platform to talk about the latest developments in the hospitality industry. Oman’s reputation as a luxury destination will get a significant boost in 2016 as major international hotel chains are set to open their first or new properties in the coming year.

Senior representatives of the Ministry of Tourism, Oman, outlined details of the anticipated 2,000 new hotel rooms to open in the coming year at the event. Among hotel operators entering the sultanate for the first time are the Anantara Group who will open two unique five-star resorts in the mountains of Al Jabal Al Akhdar and the south of the country at Salalah; the Kempinski and Fairmont hotels in Al Mouj in Muscat; not to mention Oman's first ever Jumeirah hotel which is under construction within the Saraya Bandar Jissah ITC project in Muscat, and finally a newly and refurbished Sheraton Hotel in the capital’s central business district with many others set to follow.

Speaking about the Ministry’s presence at the event, Salim Al Mamari, director general of Tourism Promotion said, “Oman attracted over one million visitors from the GCC in 2015 with the biggest number arriving from Saudi Arabia and the UAE and we hope to increase this number by our participation at the Arabian Travel Market. We are happy that the event gave us an opportunity to share information about the efforts being taken by the Ministry in making Oman a world-class tourism destination. As outlined in the Tourism Strategy 2040, tourism is set to become one of the key pillars for economic growth in the sultanate in the coming decades and aspects like the opening of new hotels, establishment of the Oman Convention Bureau and the Discover Oman’s Beauty Summer Campaign are all party of the larger scheme to encourage more tourists to visit the country.” - TradeArabia News Service