Oman hosts 3rd edition of World Travel Week 'Connections Luxury Middle East'

Muscat: Activities of the 3rd edition of the World Travel Week Middle East, organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, kicked off today at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel.

More than 180 companies from the Sultanate of Oman and abroad are taking part in the event, titled 'Connections Luxury Middle East'.

The conference aims to enhance partnership and communication between international luxury travel and tourism companies and their Omani counterparts. The partners include hotel establishments and tourism service providers using innovative communication methods to develop relations and exchange experiences.

Azzan Qasim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism stressed the importance of the event as it will be fruitful, based on the success of last year’s gathering.

He said: “Tourism in Oman has gone from strength to strength. Last year, a record-breaking 4 million visitors – luxury travellers, adventurers, nature enthusiasts, cruise ship passengers, sports fans and event attendees amongst them - experienced the warmth of Oman’s legendary hospitality, the breathtaking beauty of our spectacular landscapes, our rich heritage, vibrant living traditions and the delights of our cuisine.”

He added, “At Oman’s Ministry of Heritage & Tourism as we unroll our National Tourism Strategy 2040 and bring to life the ambitions of Oman Vision 2040 under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, we are laser-focused on creating an environment where tourism can flourish and grow. We are achieving this through the introduction of tourism-friendly legislation and enterprise-driven initiatives, investment in infrastructure and attractions, capacity building, the creation of specialised investment zones for tourism development and more.”

On his turn, Haitham Mohammed Al Ghassani, Director-General of Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said that Oman’s hosting the third edition of the event offers an ideal opportunity for partners to meet and organize introductory visits through which tourists could explore landmarks in Muscat Governorate and other governorates of Oman.

Visits to landmarks and travel destinations in Oman would help provide global travel firms and tourists with a clear image of the country’s tourism potential, said Al Ghassani. He added that, through these visits, Oman will have better exposure, since the global firms would include the country in their promotion programmes.

Al Ghassani told Oman News Agency (ONA) that 14 tourism companies were chosen to conduct familiarisation trips in Dhofar Governorate. The visits, which will cover heritage sites and tourist landmarks, include the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Salalah, Al Hisn Palace, Al Hisn Market, Al-Baleed Archaeological Park, the “Land of Frankincense Museum”, Samhan Mountain, Wadi Darbat, the Samharam Archaeological Park, Taqah Castle and Kofan heritage hostel. -ONA