Friday 19 / April / 2024
Muscat: Oman's Ministry of Tourism organised a two-day mobile exhibition in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on November 8 and 9, with the participation with a number of tourism companies and hotels.
Oman has seen more than 110,000 tourists from the Netherlands visit the country since 2012, and is keen on further increasing the number.
Set to be organised on November 8 and 9, in collaboration with several tourism companies and hotels, the exhibition provides an opportunity for travel agents to meet with the tourism companies of the Netherlands to inform them about developments and growth in tourism in the Sultanate, which is leading to the increased flow of tourists from around the world.
Salem bin Oday Al Ma’amari, Director General of Promotion in the Ministry of Tourism, said that the ministry wanted to organise tourism events in Amsterdam, as it is one of the important European markets for tourism promotion. Statistics show that the number of tourists who visited the Sultanate from the Netherlands reached 110,377 between the year 2012 and the end of September this year.
He said that all these developments confirmed that the Dutch market was a promising one.
“It is a must that we should increase tourism promotion in the country to attract more tourists in the near future. This is an effort in line with the plans to provide more vital tourism facilities and make procedures easy,” he said. “This is why the Sultanate decided that there would not be any requirement of taking tourist visas in advance from the Dutch and from some other nationalities.”
“Such opportunities also give an opportunity to introduce travel and tourism companies and the media to natural and cultural destinations, which is the main feature of tourism in Oman,” he added. He said that there was a qualitative focus on the promotion of tourism by introducing products, facilities and services of tourism of the Sultanate.
Al Ma’amari said that the Ministry of Tourism, through these events, wanted to promote the tourism elements of the Sultanate, enter these markets and establish direct relations with them and understand their requirements and expectations.
He added that overseas tourists, through these foreign events, would get to learn about visa facilities and easy booking procedures, as well as be introduced to the Muscat International Airport, one of the most modern airports in the region.
He said that the Ministry of Tourism organised these activities to coincide with the beginning of the winter season in the Sultanate, as this is one of the best tourist seasons due to the cooler climate. In winter, tourists could enjoy travelling between various destinations, and added that the participation of the private sector in tourism activities organised by the ministry shows that there is a partnership between the public and private sectors.
“The ministry wants to strengthen this partnership in recognition of the role of the private sector in promoting tourist establishments, offers, packages and facilities,” said Al Ma’amari. “The ministry gives opportunities to tourism companies and establishments to present their services directly in markets and enter into partnerships with their counterparts in various tourism markets.”
