Here’s why Oman residents will spend more on travel in 2024?

Muscat: Oman residents are spending at least 10 per cent more on their travel this year, compared to their 2023 budgets.

Travel agents attribute the surge in spending due to rise in flight ticket prices and increasing costs of visa.

Venkat Perumal, a sales manager of a reputed travel agency, said  that travellers are opting for more luxury options in land arrangements, including hotels and sightseeing.

“And this is contributing to the overall hike in travel costs other than the visa costs,” he said.

The government of New Zealand announced on Tuesday that it will nearly triple entry fees for foreign tourists.
Currently, international tourists pay NZ$35 ($22) to enter the country. Starting October 1, that fee will rise to NZ$100 ($62).

The measure was to “ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand”.

Like many other popular destinations, New Zealand has been grappling with the deluge of visitors, now an important part of the country’s economy, and the environmental and social impacts that excess tourism can have.

Moreover, the European Commission also announced a global increase in short-stay Schengen visa fees, effective from June 11, 2024.

Under the new fee structure, the cost for adult applicants will be euro 90, up from the current euro 80. For children aged 6 and below 12 years, the fee will increase from euro 40 to euro 45. This hike applies to visa applications submitted worldwide.

Visa free for Omanis
However, there is good news as some countries have relaxed visa requirements for Omanis.

Omani citizens holding ordinary passports will be exempted from visa requirement for their travel for tourism purposes to Türkiye, recently. Then, the EU countries have decided to grant 5-year multiple visas to citizens of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain.

Then more recently, as part of its Independence Day celebrations, Pakistan introduced a new visa policy to attract more tourists and foreign investment.

Under the new policy, residents from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia — can now obtain a visa-on-arrival in Pakistan. This visa is valid for three months and can be renewed quickly.