Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Muscat: In an attempt to woo more tourists to the Sultanate, the Ministry of Tourism is set to open new offices in the Middle East and Asia.
According to the Ministry of Tourism, it will “open offices in Iran, China, and Russia, among others.”
Mohammed Saif Al Riyami, an official at the ministry said “We are studying new strategies this year that reflect our desire to penetrate new markets. The ministry will open a number of representation offices in a number of countries like Iran, China and Russia, and redirect tourism towards the Sultanate."
“The presence of these offices can allow the Sultanate to keep pace with anything new in the market, so that we can be better informed regarding what sort of programmes the markets require. One of the missions of these offices is to represent the Sultanate on the forefront of international tourism,” he added.
“We are attempting to bring in tourists from unorthodox markets, particularly East Asia, Russia and Iran. This is because these markets are known for group packages, which creates an influx of almost 500 tourists in one trip. This in turn can create a chain of tourism. We are building the infrastructure for these tourists to feel at home here. The ministry is also reaching out to Japanese tourists.”
The ministry takes a number of different approaches when it comes to attracting tourists, including inviting celebrities.
Al Riyami said “We take part in activities and exhibitions, but also try to maintain an active social media presence. The offices also organised introductory trips. Among these are celebrities or fashion and cooking industries. During the trips appropriate activities for their line of work are arranged, after which they can essentially market the country’s tourism sector to their own followers. Lastly, we can specifically invite journalists and the like, particularly those who specialise in travel.”
Currently, the Sultanate has offices in “Dubai, Saudi Arabia, India, and Britain, as well Germany, Holland, Paris, and Italy.”
