Oman eyes growing income from tourism sector

Muscat: Tourism being one of the best performers in non-oil sectors around the world, the Sultanate is seeking to get a good share of this growing industry.
The global indicators show an increasing trend towards travel and tourism among millions of people and Oman is preparing itself to grab the opportunity.
The tourism sector in the Sultanate witnessed a significant increase in the growth of the key indicators rates that measure progress in this sector, particularly the rapid rise in the value-added GDP achieved by the sector, as the number of tourists goes beyond two million and a half million, providing thousands of jobs. In order to increase its contribution to the economy, the government adopts a new strategy to review everything related to attracting tourism investments, overcoming the obstacles and facilitating procedures to such investments.
The direct contribution of the tourism sector in the GDP of the Sultanate is currently 2 per cent. The rate doubles when calculating the direct and indirect contribution of the together the sector.
Tourism sector’s direct contribution to the GDP is expected to reach about 4.2 per cent by the end of the ninth five-year development plan.
World Tourism Day
The Sultanate will celebrate on Tuesday the World Tourism Day (WTD), which falls on September 27, along with the countries of the world. The Sultanate aims to promote awareness on the importance of tourism, and its social, cultural, political and economic value. The World Tourism Organization (WTO) decided to celebrate the WTD 2016 in the Thai capital, Bangkok, under the slogan “Tourism for All: Promoting Universal Accessibility .”
The Ministry of Tourism said it will organise a number of events to mark WTD, including an open exhibition on the occasion at the ministry’s theatre with the participation of several parties from the public and private sectors and targeting staff and students of educational institutions and employees of tourist companies, in addition to organising a tourist trip to the National Museum and the Royal Opera House Muscat to ministry staff on October 5 and a trip to the elderly to the Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum and Muttrah Souq on October, and a cruise to Bandar Al Khiran for people with special needs on October 13.
Oman Tourism College (OTC) announced the introduction of a new student project revolves around “Promoting Universal Accessibility to Tourism “ as part of its study plans on the occasion of the WTD , which is celebrated this year under the slogan “Tourism For All : Promoting Universal Accessibility “ which is about creating environments that can cater to the needs of all sections of the society, including the disabled, families with small children, as also the ageing population and others, that need special facilitations and potentials to enjoy various tourist attractions around the world. -ONA
According to OTC initiative, as many as 100 students from the first and second semester of the BSc and Diplomas in Tourism and Hospitality Management, Tourism Marketing, and Event Management will be working on specially designed projects in Destination Management and Tour Guiding.