With the lead up to the opening in 2016, the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre (OCEC) Team has strengthened the sultanate’s reputation as an emerging global economy and an oasis of opportunity at IBTM World in Barcelona.

The Omani travel and tourism sector is a vital contributor to the economy with visitor numbers increasing by 23.8 per recent over the last few years and, this will grow further and faster with significant new projects such as the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre coming on line.

OCEC’s director of business development Gillian Taylor unveiled the latest collaborative initiative to more than 30 world media and met with 80 potential decision makers, on the importance of the business events industry to the nation’s economy in line with the sultanate’s Vision 2020.

Launching “Oman – an Oasis of Opportunity” as one of the world’s Intellectual Capitals showcased the government approach and why the sultanate has led the Arabian Gulf countries in terms of the strongest worldwide growth rates in 2014.

“Oman has a thriving business community with a flourishing culture of entrepreneurship that benefits from strong government support and encouragement. The sultanate’s competitive edge is further strengthened by its burgeoning reputation for academic excellence and leadership in research and innovation, as well as its future-forward approach to knowledge exchange,” Ms Taylor said.

In support of this collaborative initiative, Salim Al Maamari, director general of tourism promotion for the Ministry of Tourism said, “The Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is a very important investment for Oman. We have believed for a long-time that the new centre can develop tourism and, through conventions, we can diversify our economy and help it grow.”

The OCEC participated at IBTM World 2015 with the Ministry of Tourism, Oman Air, UBAR Conferences & Events, plus other partners to meet with potential clients, international associations and professional conference organisers to discuss future business opportunities. Bringing together over 15,000 decision makers and industry professionals, the event is a key fixture in the global events industry calendar. – TradeArabia News Service