Tourism & Hospitality | Tuesday 6 January, 2015 4:08 pm |

Moving forward to attract more tourists during the upcoming tourism season, Oman Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with Oman Air, the national carrier airline of Oman, recently held a promotional event at the Sheraton Hotel Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The event aimed to reinforce the joint venture between both parties to promote Oman as the leading tourist destination for short breaks. The session included informative and interactive presentations on Oman’s tourism infrastructure and facilities along with the announcement of attractive and cost-effective holiday packages designed for GCC visitors, including luxury hotel stays and return tickets from Oman Air.

Oman has emerged as one of the top destinations among GCC travellers for short breaks, registering a 17 per cent increase in GCC Citizens numbers at the end of 3rd quarter. According to the latest statistics by the National Centre for Statistics and Information, over 701,311 inbound tourists from the GCC visited the Sultanate until September 2014. The proactive measures undertaken by the Omani government to sustain the seamless expansion in the country’s tourism sectors have complemented this growth. The country has witnessed a spurt in developing activities in its infrastructural facilities, including airports, roads and rail networks, and maritime sectors.

Salem Adi Al Mamari, Director General Of Tourism Promotion, Oman Ministry of Tourism, said: “Compared with other countries, Oman offers a wide range of variety in its geographical features, making it an attractive destination for all-year-round tourism. From ancient forts to most modern hotels, beaches to mountains, cuisines to spas, and recreation to relaxation, we have something to satisfy the needs of even the most discerning travellers. Besides, the Sultanate boasts of the world-class airports, wide network of highways, superior ports to make the travel inside and outside the country more smoothly. We have partnered with Oman Air to offer economical and interesting travel packages to attract potential travellers to see our country as well as remind the existing travellers to visit again.”

Oman Air, the national airlines of Oman, were present as the official airline for the Sultanate of Oman. Underlining the airline’s commitment to service excellence, Oman Air’s Business Class seat on board its A330 fleet has been voted by Skytrax as the Best Business Class Seat in the world for two years in a row, in 2011 and 2012. Oman Air passengers can now experience a whole new level of on-ground service with Oman Air’s premium front-end check-in facility exclusively for First Class and Business Class guests, besides Oman Air’s Premium Lounges located at Muscat International Airport.