Oman's tourism ministry has announced the launch of its ‘Cool Destinations’ summer campaign on Hotels.com, one of the world's leading on-line accommodation booking site.

The Hotels.com campaign is the Ministry’s first major online campaign in the Middle East, said a senior official.

Unveiling the new campaign on Sunday, Maitha Al Mahrouqi, the undersecretary of the Oman Ministry of Tourism said the 'Cool Destinations' campaign, which runs till September 30, signals a shift towards greater on-line promotions.

'We are seeing transformational shifts as consumers move to digital and mobile devices to research and book travel, and it is vital that Oman respond and take advantage of this to attract new business and build market share,' she explained.

The campaign involves over 1.7 million page advertisements that link to a dedicated landing page that promotes Oman’s summer destinations including:
•Salalah’s Khareef (cool weather season) that runs from July to September;
•The Hajar Moutains high altitude resorts and getaways;
•Oman’s east coast including peak nesting season at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve and Masirah Island; and
•Oman’s many resorts, spas and hotels with value-based summer offers.

'Our message is that Oman has unique destinations to escape summer’s heat, and the value-based accommodation offers on Hotels.com are just a ‘click’ away,' she added.

The Hotels.com Mideast site has grown consistently since its launch at Arabian Travel Market in May 2009. With sites in both Arabic and English, an unrivalled breadth of properties in all star ratings across Oman and a growing reach amongst consumers in the region, the brand is well placed to work with the Ministry of Tourism to deliver the desired outcomes of the campaign.

The launch coincides with the start of the Salalah Tourism Festival which runs from 21 June to 18 July 2012, followed by the Khareef season (July to September) that turns the mountains and coast into a lush green landscape with cascading waterfalls.

Oman Air has announced additional services to Salalah from Muscat, and operates two Boeing B737 services per week from Dubai to Salalah. On 28 June, Air Arabia began two Boeing B767 services per week from Sharjah to Salalah.

Nigel Pocklington, the chief marketing officer for Hotels.com expressed delight at working with the Oman Ministry of Tourism on its first major online campaign in the region.

The campaign also highlights Muscat’s nomination as Arab Tourism Capital in 2012.

'We have seen interest grow in Oman as a holiday destination and hope this campaign will continue to highlight its unique attributes to a wider audience, as well as showcasing the great value accommodation available through Hotels.com,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service