Huge influx of tourists this season in Salalah

Muscat: Nearly 750,000 people visited Salalah during the Khareef season this year.
This information was revealed by the country’s National Centre of Statistics and Information (NCSI) on Monday.
According to the latest data, a total of 749,488 tourists have visited Salalah since the beginning of Khareef season, 71.1 per cent of them Omani visitors.
Statistics also revealed that 7.8 per cent of the visitors welcomed were from the United Arab Emirates and 9.8 per cent were other GCC nationals.
Talking exclusively to Times of Oman, Mahmoud Saffarini, Director of Sales at Salalah Rotana Resort said that the resort received a huge number of tourists from various countries.
“Considered a key driver of tourism in the Dhofar region, south of Oman, Khareef offers a lush green landscape, rains and cool weather, making the city attractive for residents of neighbouring countries looking to escape the heat.
“This year Salalah Rotana Resort had an increase of guests from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, KSA as well as UAE and Oman. Furthermore, airlines such as Gulf Air and Salam Air opened new routes to Salalah which enhanced hotel trade as well,” Saffarini said. He went on, “Salalah continues to witness a huge footfall of GCC tourists, registering a healthy growth in arrivals during Khareef period as compared to the same time last year. Salalah Rotana Resort has been opened for five years now and we have seen growth year on year. Our guests are mainly GCC families that come to enjoy the greenery via tours that can be booked in the hotel and the cool weather as well as explore our facilities with themed evenings, spa treatments, fitness and wellness club, kid’s activities and spacious rooms.
“The proximity to the waterpark and Hawana Destination are other attractions Salalah Rotana Resorts guests enjoyed in 2019. As hotel operators, we are dedicated to providing quality accommodation and value for money for guests of our resort.”
People who have already been to Salalah during the Khareef season can’t help but reminisce about the beautiful time they had.
Tarek Wahib, a tourist from Jordan, said: “We were visiting a family in the UAE when we heard about the Khareef season in Salalah. It was not only my first time in Salalah with my wife and two girls but our first time in Oman. I am so happy that I decided to visit this beautiful, welcoming country with extremely friendly people. We are planning to do this every other year if not every year.”
He added: “The trip was extremely refreshing for all of us as we were on a break from work and schools. I still can’t forget our trip to Jabal Samhan. When we went up to the mountain, we all were stunned at the beauty the place holds. You could literally see the clouds below the mountain! This is definitely one of those vacations which we will not forget in a long long time.”