Oman to add 3,000 hotel rooms by 2020

Dubai: More than 3,000 hotel rooms will be added in the Sultanate by 2020, taking the number close to 20,000, the Director General of Tourism Promotion, Salim Al Mamari said on the opening day of the Arabian Travel Market, in Dubai on Monday.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Salim Al Mamari also announced plans to double the number of international visitors the Sultanate attracts over the next two decades as part of its new national 2040 tourism strategy.
“By 2040, the country wants to attract over 5 million international visitors to Oman, which doesn’t include domestic and one-day tourists. And if we count them, then the figure may touch 10 million. In this way we will change the face of tourism,” he said. In 2015, Oman reported 2.4 million tourists.
The Ministry has also revealed that its growth strategy for the tourism sector is going to be based upon an innovative “cluster” approach that will create a series of unique tourism experiences in different areas of Oman, reflecting local culture and heritage.
Clusters will therefore be based around the unique coastal experience of Musandam; the Hajar Mountains; the Frankincense trail in Salalah; the culture in Muscat; the deserts and will have a mix of accommodation and experiences that will enable the clusters to become mini destinations in their own right. The development of these new clusters will also help in Oman’s strategic approach to attracting visitors from one of the world’s fastest growing tourism segments – adventure
tourism.
Oman’s Ministry of Tourism officials said they will be working closely with private sector partners to ensure that the right infrastructure for accommodation; restaurants; transportation and other key elements are in place to boost the attraction of each cluster and create more local employment.
Under the new strategy, the tourism sector is predicted to employ around 500,000 people by 2020, with an estimated 75 per cent of those being Omani nationals and it is also predicted to help make Oman a role model for responsible tourism in the future.
Salim Al Mamari also said: “The announcement of the 2040 tourism strategy for Oman provides us with a clearly defined and structured road map for future growth and expansion ensuring that tourism becomes one of the most important economic pillars for the country’s future.”
“The Sultanate has a truly unique offer for tourists within its regional geography, and provides an amazing diversity of visitor experiences. We are well positioned to benefit from growing international tourism trends, such as adventure tourism and creating truly memorable experiences for our visitors from a cultural, environmental, natural and family perspective.”
“Omani hospitality is legendary and our new cluster concept will build on that and also help create tens of thousands of new jobs for Omani nationals in particular and therefore boost the overall economic prosperity of the country,” he added.
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