Oman is planning to launch a water taxi service in Musandam to attract more tourists to the governorate, said a report.

Musandam received around 250,000 tourists in the first nine months of 2018 because of the presence of various tourism offerings in the wilayats of Khasab, Dibba, Bukha and Madha, said a report in Muscat Daily.

The Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) is aiming to increase this number to give a big boost to the local economy.

“The cruise tourism season began in October and 72 ships will be visiting the Khasab port till May," said a senior official in the Ministry of Tourism (MoT).

The maritime taxi route will be from Khasab to Kumzar and pass through the villages of Khor Sham and Lima.

The official said that MoT is making Musandam governorate a key in the sustainable tourism development strategy.

“We cooperated with several bodies such as the Ministry of Transport and Communications to study the economic feasibility of the project. Oman Development Bank and Al Raffd Fund will provide technical support and funding for the project. Musandam Governor’s Office and OCCI in the Musandam governorate will supervise and market this project,” said the report citing Raed bin Mohammed al Shehhi, chairman of OCCI's branch in Musandam.