Oman Tourism Investment Conference reviews growth, investment strategies

Muscat: A first-of-its-kind event to launch investment in the Sultanate’s tourism sector kicked off yesterday.
The Oman Tourism Investment Conference started at Oman Convention and Exhibition Center under the auspices of Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrezi, Minister of Tourism.
The conference reviews Oman Tourism strategy, as well as the foreign investment projects, the available investment opportunities in the Sultanate and the incentive provided by the Sultanate to investors.
In all, 100 investors and about 24 local and international speakers take part in the two-day conference. ‘The conference, which is the first of its kind, serves as a platform for launching investment in the tourism, and came after completing Oman Tourism Strategy which identified the Sultanate’s vision for the tourism sector, said Ahmed bin Nasser Al Mahrezi, Minister of Tourism.
“The Ministry has initiated the tourism lay out for the Governorate of Dhofar and will soon float a tender for the tourism layouts for A’Dakhiliyah, Musandam and South A’Sharqiyah governorates, in addition to Jabal Shams in the Wilayat of Masirah, he added.
‘Hayy Al Sharq District’ in the Wilayat of Barka, which stretches over 1.5 million square meters, will cover the gap in the domestic tourism and will help in attracting Arab tourists.
The Ministry of Tourism has also approved Yeti Tourism Project of Oman Investment Fund and Yankit Project, which stretches over 8 million square meters. The two projects will be merged in one to be an integrated tourism complex that includes hotels, entertainment, water games and adventure sports, he concluded.
It should be noted that Maithaa bint Saif Al Mahrouqiyah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism delivered a speech at the opening ceremony where she said that the number of inbound tourists to the Sultanate is growing and that a number of hospitality projects will be opened this year and during the next few years.