Ministry of Tourism organises workshop

Muscat: A total of 16 major Chinese travel and tourism companies and their Omani counterparts participated in a workshop organised by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT). The workshop was conducted on the sidelines of the Omani-Chinese Tourism Companies Forum in collaboration with Oman-China Friendship Association and Oman Air on November 2. The event took place at the Oasis Club Diwan of Royal Court.
The forum aimed to strengthen mutual cooperation between the two countries in the tourism industry, by helping exchange expertise, discussing challenges and the ways to overcome them, and shedding light on the facilities and services provided by the Sultanate for the Chinese tourism market.
The forum also aimed to introduce Oman as an ideal tourism destination, and showcase the efforts made by the MoT to promote Omani tourism sector in the global markets.
“This gathering gives us the opportunity to discuss Oman’s upcoming new tourism attractions and Chinese investor interest. It is no secret that Oman has become one of the top tourist destinations in the world; enabling visitors to have new and unique experiences of adventure, camping, sea-cruises, beach sports and more. Oman provides visitors and travellers with best-in-class, authentic Arabian experiences, which is the essence of our National Strategy for Tourism,” said Sayyid Adil Al Busaidi, advisor on Tourism Affairs, Ministry of Tourism.
“It is noteworthy that China is considered as one of the countries with a growing number of travellers, who are interested in luxury travel. In lieu of this, the ministry has recently issued a circular to all tourism sector facilities to facilitate the granting of unsponsored tourist visas to the nationals of a number of countries, including China. Travellers who reside in, or hold an entry visa to the United States of America, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and Schengen states are now allowed to obtain a non-sponsored tourist visa to Oman,” he added.
“It is our constant endeavour to continue to enhance our cooperation with China; and I trust that this will result in strengthening mutually beneficial ties for our countries.”
Apart from the workshop, the Ministry of Tourism has also organised a tour around Muscat, Al Dakhilya, North and South A'Sharqiyah, for the Chinese delegation between October 28 and November 3 to give the participants a sense and feel of what the Sultanate has to offer in terms of culture and natural beauty.
The Chinese travel market is one of the most promising tourism markets from which Oman is seeking to benefit, by putting in place a robust promotional plan. The Sultanate today offers a number of travel and tourism companies, a vast airlines network, and many tourism projects, all of which present the perfect opportunity to attract more tourists from around the world.