Wednesday 08 / May / 2024
Muscat: Cyclone Mekunu may have wreaked havoc across Dhofar Governorate two months ago, but the global spotlight on southern Oman has had a welcome side effect—a record number of visitors.
A military-style clean-up operation has restored Salalah and the governorate in time for the annual Khareef season, and global attention, coupled with staycationers holidaying there to support the local economy, means this year’s Khareef Season has already been the best so far.
The number of people visiting Salalah during the tourist season has increased by 49 per cent just two months after the cyclone wreaked havoc, according to the latest data from the National
Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
“As of July 31, 2018, there were 426,935 visitors in Salalah, compared with 286,616 visitors during the same period in 2017,” said the NCSI.
James Hewitson, general manager at Al Baleed Resort, Salalah, said Cyclone Mekunu has helped boost tourism in Dhofar during Khareef.
“Compared with July last year, there has been a 40 per cent increase in bookings at our establishment,” said Hewitson. “The bookings that we have already secured for August also look encouraging.”
“The reason for this is that Cyclone Mekunu highlighted Dhofar as a destination and increased public awareness about the region,” he added.
“The cyclone also brought with it abundant rainfall quite early, which made the area greener. The result was that photographs were being passed around on social media, which is a very powerful tool. It has drawn in a lot of tourists. We hope it continues.”
Hotels in Salalah were initially wary of the effect the cyclone may have on the number of tourists.
Adventure effect
“We thought there would be fear, but instead, it has created an adventure effect, encouraging more people to come in,” said Manuel Levonian, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza Hotel Salalah.
“I don’t think the cyclone has affected the Khareef Season. We expected the Khareef to be very good, and in fact, immediately after the cyclone, the rain started much earlier this year. So the entire Khareef and the effect of the greenery came to the fore much earlier.”
Data showed that Omanis accounted for 75 per cent of visitors to the region, followed by tourists from the Emirates at 9.2 per cent and other GCC nationals at 8.5 per cent.
“Right now, if you look at Salalah, it is jam packed,” said Levonian. “Most come from Muscat, but we do see people from Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, and other regions of the country coming with their families. The city is really full.”
It has taken a tremendous effort on the part of the government, the private sector, and volunteers to get Salalah to where it is now.
“Of course the government was very proactive in terms of getting the roads, the connections, and the sites back in shape,” remarked Levonian.
Waterfalls
“The municipality was very prepared. You can still find the old Salalah, but you would not be able to recognise it compared with how it was when the cyclone hit. It is still the same, but with more greenery and waterfalls.”
