Saturday 27 / April / 2024
Salalah: The growing popularity of taking a holiday in Dhofar during Khareef season has led to the opening of seven new hotels in the governorate, the Ministry of Tourism announced on Sunday.
Marhoon bin Saeed Al Ameri, Director General of Tourism in Dhofar governorate, said that 34 hotel establishments offering over six thousand tourist beds are now ready for the Khareef season, which will run from June 21 until September 21.
Careful monitoring
Al Ameri said that the hotel sector was well prepared for Khareef due to careful monitoring by the governate: “Seven new hotel establishments opened between May and December last year to meet the increasing requirements for tourist accommodation and to bridge the gap between supply and demand.”
The Minister said that the Rotana and Al Fanar Hotels have completed their expansion into Hawana Salalah destination. The four-star Millennium Hotel opened in Al Saadah area and the work on the four-star Bilad Point Hotel project was also completed, with it expected to open during the current Khareef season. A number of hotels and commercial complexes such as the three-star Bristol Hotel will open in Al Saadah area.
This is in addition to Al Saadah City Mall, Al Saadah Commercial Complex and Al Waha Mall in the industrial zone, he added.
The number of tourists who came to Dhofar in the Khareef season in 2018, according to statistics of the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), was 826,376, which was an increase of 28.1 percent over 2017. Al Ameri explained, “We expect that during the coming Khareef season the number of tourists will further increase or would be same at least. Conditions in the Sultanate and the governorate of Dhofar in particular are ripe for an increase in the number of tourists. Last year, there were certain meteorological climates conditions which had briefly hit the governorate during Khareef season, but indications are that this year will be better”.
He confirmed that all government organisations concerned with the Khareef season were primed for the influx of tourists to the area following a recent meeting to review levels of preparedness.
“These government organisations and authorities are committed to make the season a success. We thank them for their concerns and efforts. Cooperation and coordination between the office of the minister of state, governor of Dhofar, Dhofar municipality, Royal Oman Police, NCSI and other government organisations as well as our tourism partners from the private sector such as Salalah airport, hotel establishments and tourism offices are smooth and effective.”
The Director General concluded that the Ministry and its directorates prepared for autumn in Dhofar governorate each year and created an integrated work system to make the season a success. All this is achieved in cooperation with government and private sectors. These efforts are aimed at providing high quality services to the tourists to make their Dhofar experience unforgettable.
