Muscat: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is actively working to enhance Oman’s tourism industry by establishing collaborations with international firms, organizing promotional initiatives, and encouraging innovation in tourism marketing.
The Ministry is also focused on strengthening the role of tourism representation offices in key markets to ensure sustainable growth for the sector and increase its contribution to the national GDP.
Significant progress has been made in promoting Oman as a tourist destination, with the implementation of 235 promotional campaigns aimed at Arab, Asian, and European markets.
These initiatives have generated an estimated financial return of OMR95.65 million, significantly enhancing Oman’s visibility on the global tourism stage. Furthermore, 88 media campaigns conducted from 2021 to 2024 yielded financial returns of around OMR202.56 million, underscoring the success of the marketing strategies employed.
Saada bint Abdullah Al-Harthiya, Director of Market Development at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, highlighted that these campaigns are integral to attracting tourists from a variety of international markets and strengthening relationships between local and foreign tourism stakeholders.
The goal is to showcase Omani tourism products, experiences, and facilities, while highlighting key advancements in the sector and exploring opportunities to leverage them for the Ministry’s goals.
Al-Harthiya noted that the Ministry is dedicated to developing targeted tourism markets by both expanding into new areas and sustaining existing ones, in accordance with its strategic recommendations.
This includes monitoring and evaluating promotional efforts by tourism offices and fostering partnerships with tourism companies in these markets.
The Ministry is dedicated to empowering local tourism partners through workshops and annual training programs, thereby enhancing Oman’s presence in the global tourism arena.
To broaden its outreach, the Ministry has expanded its network to include 11 representation offices that cover 26 tourism markets.
A tender has been released to establish a new representation office in Madrid, Spain, which is expected to commence operations by mid-2025.
Additionally, plans are in progress for a new office in Singapore, which will serve markets in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, with an anticipated launch by mid-year.
These offices are designed to promote Oman’s tourism potential and draw in visitors, thereby increasing the sector's contribution to the national GDP.
The Ministry has also tapped into new markets, such as Russia, by opening a representation office in Moscow, which is projected to attract over 44,000 Russian tourists by the end of 2024. This year, a new office in China was inaugurated, leading to more than 73,000 Chinese tourists visiting Oman in 2024.
In the Gulf region, the Ministry has organized events like the “Welcome to Dhofar” initiative, which highlighted the region’s attractions, including the “Al Sarb” season and winter tourism.
This initiative, which involved participation from Saudi Arabian tourism companies, has bolstered bilateral cooperation and showcased Dhofar’s unique offerings.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Ministry plans to execute 84 promotional campaigns, 46 media initiatives, and 19 external advertising efforts. It also aims to organize 43 familiarization trips for companies and 55 media familiarization trips, develop support platforms for target markets, and provide training programs in areas such as digital marketing, sustainability, and artificial intelligence.
