Saturday 07 / September / 2024
Muscat: In a bid to boost Omani tourism, three new budget hotels will open in Muscat during the first quarter of 2017, officials at the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) announced on Wednesday.
Outlining the projects, the MoT said Hisn Al Mussanah Hotel with 40 rooms is set to open in April 2017.
Also, Al Salam hotel apartments is opening in Barka in February 2017 with 30 apartments to cater to tourists.
Another hotel in Barka is nearing completion. “The Orchid Hotel, with 27 apartments, will be opened in the middle of January,” the MOT said.
Travellers
Travel agents note that these budget hotels will provide a boost in tourism, as there is a shortage of budget hotels in the Sultanate.
“There are so many travellers who look for budget accommodations. So, it would be great if we have more hotels that can cater to tourists who don’t look to four or five star accommodations during their visit,” said an official of New Star Travel in Ruwi.
Recently, the Ministry of Tourism announced three more hotels would be opening in Oman in 2017.
The three-star Al Irfan International Hotel in Bausher, the Sundus Rotana in Airport Heights and a three star hotel in Muttrah Corniche with 120 rooms will open next year.
Following that, the five-star Intercontinental Tilal Muscat, with 244 rooms, is expected to open by the end of 2019. “These hotels are designed to cater to all types of travellers visiting the Sultanate. All these hotels are in the city, and will offer modern amenities to facilitate all types of travellers,” travel agents said.
Oman is looking at a growth in tourism of 8 to 12 per cent per year.
