A billion dollar tourism boost in Oman

Energy Saturday 20/January/2018 22:08 PM
By: Times News Service
A billion dollar tourism boost in Oman

Muscat: Oman’s spending on tourism facilities should cross one billion dollars soon, according to some of the country’s top leisure development officials.
Omran, the Sultanate’s government body responsible for investing in tourism, has partnered with Egyptian tourism development company Orascom to form Muriya, a joint venture that will spearhead Oman’s tourism development, as the Sultanate looks to become a world-class tourism destination. Some $650 million (OMR250 million) has already been used to fund the venture.
“Oman represents our largest tourism development presence in the world, after Switzerland,” said Samih Sawiris, chairman for Orascom Development Holding. “We have provided about $300 million of the $650 million that has been invested so far, and I think the total spend could cross one billion dollars in the next few years.”
Five Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs) have been planned for Oman, and are expected to form the core of the Sultanate’s tourism offering, which will act as a catalyst to boosting the nation as a tourism destination for visitors from across the world.
Jabal Sifah, with its boutique hotels and stunning views of the sea, as well as Hawana Salalah, which features three resorts and Salalah’s first water park, are both locations that have proven to be overwhelmingly popular with tourists.
The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre was opened to the public last year, and development on the site continues in full swing. In addition, two projects have been approved for the future, including a luxury tourism offering in Mirbat in the Dhofar region, as well as a City Walk along Muscat’s shoreline.
Despite the extensive tourism developments coming to the Sultanate, demand is still outstripping supply.
“We have 98 per cent occupancy, which is very good, and it is clear that we need to add more rooms, so that will be our priority,” noted Ahmed Dabbous, CEO of Muriya, which marked 10 years of operations when it opened the water park on January 10.
“Relations between Muriya and Oman’s Ministry of Tourism have been very good. We are investors in tourism, and we have come here to invest,” he added
Orascom chairman Samih Sawiris added, “Investment in tourism has lessened the impact of the downturn, and now that it is almost over, tourism is bound to grow in the future.
“We now plan on increasing the number of clients coming to Oman, and I call on all parties to help advance this. Because of the downturn, tourists began to have different priorities, and they didn’t want things that were too expensive, so we need to look at that and adapt to it,” he said.
“The downturn was not good for tourism, the leisure facilities, and properties, but now that this is ending, I predict that tourism in Oman will grow and have a good future in the country. We must also keep in mind not to expand too rapidly, because we are always searching for investors and there is not always a guarantee that we will get them,” he said.
Peter Walichnowski, CEO of Omran, also shed light on the Sultanate’s commitment to sustainable tourism.
“The role of Omran has been to bring in investors who will also focus on sustainable tourism. We have about five million tourists coming every year, and we would not have been able to secure investors so quickly if we didn’t have this number,” he pointed out. “Oman’s reputation as a safe, secure nation has also been of importance to both tourists and investors alike, because all tourists consider the safety of a place they are going to visit, as that is important to them.
“This plan was part of our commitment to not just improve the tourism offerings that Oman has, not just to increase the number of international tourists, but to also provide more facilities for local tourists within Oman,” he added.
With tourism earmarked as one of the key areas for growth, as a part of the Sultanate’s Tanfeedh plans for economic diversification, Oman’s Ministry of Tourism has also done much to raise the country’s tourism profile.
“From the very beginning, Omran, Muriya, and Orascom have opened the doors to developing tourism in Oman,” remarked Rawas Al Rawas, assistant general manager for Tourism Development Investor Services at the ministry. “They have encouraged many local and foreign investors to invest in Oman. Encouraging these large companies to invest requires people to support them here, and this leads to both indirect and direct job creation, as well as more diversified opportunities for Omani youth,” he added.
“This will also encourage investment and development in SMEs in Oman. The Ministry of Tourism has provided whatever facilities and services are required and will continue to do so in the future, as well.”