The cheap package holiday, bucket and spade culture and jetting off for two weeks of sun, sand and souvenirs is on the decline suggests Taleb Al Makhmari, acting director general, Marketing & Media at Ithraa, Oman’s inward investment and export promotion agency.

Today, there is a new type of tourism - one that could be described as deep travel - it is about getting under the skin of a place. Tourists seeking out authenticity, real experiences rather than fake culture packages made for the masses.

“It is about the appreciation of local distinctiveness, the idiosyncrasies and the detail, the things that make a place unique and special,” says Al Makhmari.

“Tourism is going hyperlocal,” he explained.

“Increasingly, today’s tourists are looking for more than just the tick-box attractions, passport stamps and Instagram photos. They’re after genuine experiences that are memorable,” explains Al Makhmari.

The demand for hyperlocal tourism activities is on the rise. Whether it is climbing mountains, crossing deserts, sailing, relaxing on a beach or shopping, tourists want an authentic experience. In fact, there is a large number of travelers who are looking for offbeat locations to get the local, unique real-life experience, a market worth around $140 billion globally.

Research shows that when tourists are asked to describe their ideal holiday they use words like “authentic”, “discovery” as well as “relaxing”. “More and more often, they’re looking to experience distinctive, local culture, too,” Al Makhmari pointed out.

He went on to say: “And it’s not just about attracting foreign tourists to Oman, our next happy customer could be closer to home. Google data shows that, since 2010, “staycation” has enjoyed a 58 per cent rise in search frequency - with a 10 per cent year-on-year increase in 2015 alone - and is forecasted to climb.”

Oman’s small businesses, particularly those working in the creative industries space, can certainly play a role in helping tourists realise their expectations, as well as supporting the local hotels they stay in and the airlines they travel on, he explained. - TradeArabia News Service