Oman aims to attract tourists from more countries

Muscat: Oman is looking for more tourists from the United States, Nepal, Lithuania and Ukraine, in order to increase the number of visitors who travel to the Sultanate for leisure.
Speaking about the upcoming plans the Sultanate has in store to woo potential travellers from these countries, Maitha bint Saif Al Mahrouqi, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Tourism, said, “Oman will shortly involve itself in the US tourism market as we have noticed an increasing number of tourists coming from the United States. We believe that attracting tourists from the United States would represent an addition to the tourism sector in the Sultanate.”
Al Mahrouqi’s comments came at a forum organised by the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss increasing the number of tourists from Nepal, Lithuania and the Ukraine. She added that when it comes to these countries the number of tourists were increasing annually, and that forums such as the one organised by the OCCI provided investment opportunities between these countries.
“We have also been involved in the tourism markets of Russia and Iran, which are known for being mega tourism exporting markets, in addition to the Arab GCC states and European countries, such as Britain, France, Germany and Italy,” she added.
Chinese arrivals
In 2018, the number of tourists from China amounted to 43,000 and this remarkably increased in 2019, while the number of hotel rooms available in the country for tourists has crossed 24,000 rooms.
Many travel and tourism companies attended this symposium, whose primary goal is to encourage companies to enter these markets whether for attracting tourists from these countries to the Sultanate, or from the Sultanate to other countries.
Earlier this month, Oman Air had taken a major step forward in its growth and service, with its first codeshare flights connecting Oman and the USA, which streamline travel from Muscat to New York and Miami, via Milan, through its partnership with Air Italy.
Additional US destinations, which are expected to be announced in the coming months, are anticipated to be added in time for the summer season. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Oman Air CEO commented, “This is a noteworthy development for Oman Air and an excellent way to start another strong year for the Sultanate’s airline. These flights make it considerably quicker and easier for our guests to reach these popular US destinations and for people in these cities to visit Oman.