As part of efforts by the Omani government to boost tourist inflows into the sultanate, the tourism ministry has identified 14 new areas across the country for tourism investment and development over the next 25 years, said a report.

Ahmed al Hashmi, planning specialist, said the new areas are proposed to be developed as tourism clusters, each dedicated to investment and activities suited to the location's unique selling points, the Oman Daily Observer cited him as saying.

Once given the green-light by the Supreme Council for Planning, the initiative will then be suitably master-planned before taken in hand for development, he said.

"The master-planning exercise should take about one year,” Al Hashmi added.

Other areas slated for potential development during the 2016-2020 timeframe are greenfield and brownfield waterfront locations in Musandam and North Al Sharqiyah governorates, historical monuments and picturesque mountain settings in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, and the frankincense trail in Dhofar Governorate, the report said.

Also targeted for investment and development in future phases are clusters around the Sultanate, notably in Wusta, Dhahirah and North Al Batinah governorates, it said.