Friday 26 / April / 2024
Muscat: Tourists visiting Oman look for an authentic experience in the company of Omani tour guides, according to local guides and hospitality managers in Oman.
To test the claim, an Omani filmmaker took two tourists on a 48-hour tour of Muscat while documenting their reactions.
Mahmood Al Zadjali, a 24-year-old filmmaker, set out with his team Afrah Al Hinah, Hafedh Al Harthy, and Osama Al Balushi to show two tourists real Omani hospitality.
Mahmood told Times of Oman, “It is natural to drift towards creating typical promotional video about tourism in Oman, but my team and I gravitated towards creating a more intimate experience of seeing Oman --Muscat specifically-- in a different light.”
Mahmood waited at Muscat International Airport for over three hours with a sign asking tourists to take him up on his offer. Two German tourists, Katherine and Melanie, eventually agreed to go with Mahmood and others.
“Yes, they were actual tourists we picked up from the airport! Even though both the visitors were Germans, one was on a backpacking trip to Oman for the first time, while the other came for a visit since her husband was staying in Muscat,” he told Times of Oman.
“Overall, our objective was to give an authentic experience to foreign visitors and give them an inside view of what an Omani culture looks like, away from the typical tourist attractions,” Mahmood added.
At first, the two guests were skeptical about the entire experience.
Nostalgic taste
“We used a 1982 Land Cruiser to add a nostalgic taste to our adventure. Initially, the participants were sceptical about seeing an old car, having a camera following them everywhere and a bunch of young Omanis giving them unique information about the city, thankfully they gave it a chance, and by midday of the first 24-hours, they let their guard down and genuinely started enjoying their time,” Mahmood added.
“We started our journey with traditional Omani Shuwa for a lunch in my own home, we also showcased traditional Omani attire. This caused a cultural shock to them and increased their curiosity. With that as a base point, we introduced some local landmarks like Qasr Al Alam and the National Museum, making our way around Old Muscat and Souq Muttrah. We also introduced them to the Royal Opera House, Al Amerat Viewing Point, and Al Bustan as well.
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“We wanted to present something that resonated with our local community-- We chose to promote places that generated a sense of nostalgia to the time we had grown up. Hence, going to places like Softy in Ruwi (one of Oman’s oldest ice cream parlours) and Fairouz, a local cafe in MQ for a quick sandwich.
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“We proceeded to take a mountain hike in Muttrah, which offers a unique view of the Corniche and then on another adventure to Qurum Beach, where we went kayaking during sunset. Introducing the city from different perspectives on both the occasions,” he added.
According to Mahmood, the campaign was meant to show that an authentic experience in Oman was always better.
“Throughout the film, we wanted to emphasise the fact that you could truly experience Oman only through the locals you meet along the way,” he said.
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