Wednesday 26 / June / 2024
Muscat: More than 79,000 visitors have visited the Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate during the first six months of 2023, reaching 79,034 visitors according to statistics issued by the National Center for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The number of Omani citizens who visited the wilayat reached 28,406 visitors, and the number of Saudi tourists reached 3,848 visitors. The number of Kuwaiti visitors reached 611, the number of Emirati visitors reached 329, and the number of Bahraini visitors reached 273.
Additionally, the number of Qatari visitors reached 265, and the number of tourists from other Arab nationalities reached 3,027. Meanwhile, the number of visitors of foreign nationalities reached 42,275 tourists.
In order to attract tourists from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman, the Al Jabal Al Akhdar Festival will be held tomorrow in its second edition, from the 3rd to the 19th of August.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism confirmed that it is a strategic partner with the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate Office in organising the festival, in order to introduce the cultural heritage and natural beauty of Al Jabal Al Akhdar in particular and the Sultanate of Oman in general. This is in addition to encouraging entrepreneurs and owners of small and medium enterprises to participate in the festival and benefit from tourism promotion opportunities, which contributes to finding temporary job opportunities for the local community.
Ali bin Saif Al Shukaili, Assistant Director of the Heritage and Tourism Department in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, explained that the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is following up on tourism and hotel establishments and urging them to provide their best to visitors during the festival, which reflects the positive image of tourists about the Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar. It is expected that the wilayat will witness an active tourist movement during the festival period, explaining that this period will be exceptional, especially for tourists coming from outside the Sultanate and heading to the Dhofar Governorate in conjunction with the Khareef season or vice versa. The Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar will be a recreational station, allowing them to enjoy the moderate temperatures.
"The Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar, with its diverse nature and topography, makes it a tourist attraction for those who love adventure tourism," Al Shukaili added.
He called on small and medium enterprises to invest in the tourism sector with its various direct and indirect activities, in the Al Dakhiliyah Governorate in general and the Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar in particular.
Al Shukaili confirmed that the Al Jabal Al Akhdar Festival is an opportunity for all workers in the tourism sector to introduce their facilities and achieve economic returns in a way that contributes to the sustainability of hotel and tourism facilities.
Additionally, Al Shukaili stressed that the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism provides the necessary support to those wishing to invest in the tourism sector, starting with the provision of a strategic location for the establishment of tourism projects, passing through a supply and demand study to ensure the achievement of positive competition between hotel and tourist establishments to ensure their sustainability, while achieving a high level of quality of services for tourists.
The Wilayat of Al Jabal Al Akhdar is one of the favourite tourist destinations for many visitors in the Sultanate of Oman during the summer due to its mild climate in summer, and the availability of various hotel facilities. The wilayat also witnesses an influx of tourists during the summer to participate in activities such as: mountaineering, hiking, and enjoying the mild weather.
