The Ministry of Economy in Muscat has introduced the 'Governorates Tourism' initiative to boost and support the tourism industry in Oman. This initiative will focus on smaller-scale projects within the tourism sector, targeting tourist attractions, springs, valleys, and ancient lanes to benefit the local economy in the various governorates.
The main goal is to uplift local communities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and create new employment opportunities for residents in the governorates. By supporting projects with unique advantages in each governorate, the initiative aims to enhance the local economy.
Dr. Nasser Rashid Al Ma’awali, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, highlighted that this initiative is part of a comprehensive transformation phase in Oman's economy. It aims to promote spatial development and achieve balanced growth across all governorates.
He mentioned that the initiative will encourage competition among governorates for tourism projects, attracting investors through the competitive process in each region. This will lead to the enhancement of tourist destinations.
Furthermore, one of the key objectives of the initiative is to strengthen economic diversification and local content, providing job opportunities for Omani citizens to boost economic growth and competitiveness within each governorate. The total value of the award is OMR15 million.
Governorates are required to submit their projects for evaluation by a technical committee, which will select the best projects based on specific criteria in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. The award may be granted to one or multiple governorates, as long as it does not exceed the total value of the award.
The Deputy Minister of Economy emphasized that these initiatives are expected to attract more domestic and international tourists to Oman, thereby boosting the tourism sector's contribution to the GDP, supporting local economies, fostering growth in small and medium-sized businesses, and improving the overall competitiveness of the tourism industry across different regions.
