‘Oman needs to tap budget tourists too’

Muscat: Tourism infrastructure in Oman needs to be developed to cater to travellers with lower budgets as well, said a senior official from a leading international travel agency chain.
There are good hotels in Oman on a high-end level, but some budget hotels are missing in the three or four-star category, Klaus Henschel, managing director, Lufthansa City Centre International GmbH (LCCI), told the Times of Oman in an exclusive interview.
He was visiting Muscat to open a new LCCI office in Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, along with Khimji’s House of Travel, their franchisee partner in the Sultanate. Their office was previously located in Ruwi.
Destination of the year
Asked about the existing opportunities in Oman’s tourism sector, Henschel said LCCI can help make Oman the “destination of the year,” which would be promoted internally.
However, this would require the help and willingness of the tourism authorities in Oman, he added.
According to him, Oman has cultural and natural beauty, which can be offered to visitors in attractive packages, not only for high-end tourists but also for budget travellers.
Commenting on the changes seen in the behaviour and demand from customers, Henschel said the “individuality” of each customer and their “mobility” is increasing.
Sometimes the customers make special demands for their holidays and staying only in a hotel or just lying on the beach for several days may no longer be the right thing for some customers, he said, adding, “There are some niches coming up.”
For example, some people may want to help the people working in the field for a while or to make a desert trip for a week and then sleep in a tent in a desert, he noted.
So you have to be creative to meet the individual demands of each client, the official sated.
Henschel further said that in light of slumping oil prices, it is the right time for Oman to concentrate on other sectors, such as tourism to generate revenues.
Asked about the key areas of focus for LCCI in 2016, he said that one of them is this region because it is a growing market, although it is not an easy market due to the ongoing political situation.
He also expressed optimism that the ongoing “harmonisation” with Iran could lead to more people travelling to and fro from Iran.