Oman goes back to work after a four-day weekend

Muscat: People in Oman returned to work on Sunday, following the long National Day weekend, during which hotels and travel agents in the country did brisk business.
Locals and expats alike were able to enjoy a four-day weekend, thanks to Wednesday, November 27, and Thursday, November 28, being National Day holidays. Many took advantage of their four days off by enjoying a staycation at hotels outside Muscat, and used this opportunity to visit other parts of Oman. Many hotels had organised overnight trips to the desert, enabling people to experience the other side of Oman in luxury. Al Falaj Hotel’s Desert Nights camp were completely sold out during these four days, well before the weekend began.
“We had many last-minute requests for our Desert Nights camp, which is very popular, especially this time of the year,” said Praveen George, general manager for Al Falaj Hotel. “A lot of people in Oman want to experience the desert but it can be tough to travel there, especially if you are inexperienced. This is particularly true in the case of tourists who might not know how to find their way there.
“We unfortunately had to say no to some people because we were full,” he added. “We do try to reserve some places, but had to release those as well because the demand was so high. Our hotel is also full this time of year, because this is the traditional tourist season in Oman. Whatever rooms we had this weekend were also fully booked because people were keen to enjoy their break with us.”
It was the same at the resorts owned by Al Nahda Hotels and Resorts, which operate three establishments in and around Muscat: Al Nahda Resort and Spa in Barka, Dunes by Al Nahda near Muscat, and the Sahab Resort in Jabal Akhdar.
“The Sahab Resort is bustling with tourists right now, because when they think of Oman, the first thing that comes to mind in the hot desert climate, but of course, we know that the country is so much more than that,” said Dr Mary Ann Roberta, director marketing development at Al Nahda. “Of course, Jabal Akhdar remains such a popular destination among people living in the country as well so we were able to accommodate many of those who came to stay with us from other parts of the country.
She also said “All of our properties were very active over the weekend, because we had plenty of tourists come to visit us, as well as the locals and expats in the country who wanted to enjoy a
staycation.”
Some people in Oman chose to travel outside the country on package holidays that had been organised by travel agents for the duration of the long weekend. Azerbaijan and Georgia were by far the most popular destinations, due to short flight times and the ability to procure a visa on arrival.
“We had a package for Georgia that was sold out on the day the National Day holidays were announced, so we put together another package for those who wanted to travel there, because the demand was just so high. That also sold out real quick, even as the Azerbaijan package filled up simultaneously. These two countries are great for nature tourism and for those who want to see many historical sites. The demand to travel there is always high and we have many packages that are organised throughout the year for these locations,” said a travel agent to the Times of Oman. “That also became sold out really quickly, even as the Azerbaijan package filled up simultaneously.
“These two countries are great for nature tourism and for those who want to see many historical sites,” added the agent. “The demand to travel there is always high and we have many packages that are organised throughout the year for these locations.”