US embassy to host webinar on tourism opportunities in Oman

Muscat: US Embassy in Muscat hopes to partner with Omran and Ithraa to hold a webinar to highlight Oman’s tourism potential.
The webinar, scheduled for October 18, will be hosted by Marc J. Sievers, US ambassador to Oman and will feature speakers from Omran, Ithraa and another private company in Oman at 6pm local time.
The speakers will explain tourism opportunities in Oman for small, medium and large American companies and encourage their participation and investment in Oman’s tourism sector.
The objective of the seminar is to spread awareness amongst the American companies to capitalise on Oman’s tourism vision, which plans to attract more than 11 million visitors annually by 2040, making tourism one of the most significant income generators and accounting to over 6 per cent of the GDP. The growth strategy is based on a cluster approach, which would provide a series of unique experiences that would represent heritage and culture in different areas of Oman.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Oman, the Direct Line calls are held on a regular basis and have recently covered several sectors, including manufacturing, logistics, mining and minerals. “Our target audience in the United States is Small and Medium businesses throughout the country. Additionally, we have had participation from individuals and organisations in Oman and throughout the region,” said a statement from the embassy.
The number of international visitors to Oman was pegged at nearly 2.5 million in 2015, representing a 17 per cent spike from the year before. Currently, Oman has fewer than 17,000 hotel rooms available for tourists and according to the Ministry of Tourism, in order to accommodate the intended number of visitors; Oman plans to add more than 3,000 rooms by 2020. This would require an estimated investment of $20 billion and will create 500,000 jobs countrywide, with a proposed Omanisation of 75 per cent.