Experts believe the opening of the Oman Convention Centre will boost MICE business and fuel demand for budget hotels in the Gulf state
Hoteliers in Muscat expect a significant surge in MICE business in line with the phased opening of the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre slated for 2014.
Vice president of operations for IHG, Ignace Bauwens, told Hotelier the centre would be a great plus for Oman, allowing the hospitality industry to really tap into the meetings and conference market.
“Over the past quarter the Royal Opera House has already had a positive impact on the Muscat market, and plans such as the convention centre will amplify this further,” he said.
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Chiheb Ben Mahmoud, EVP and head of hotel advisory, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels added: “This is an important project by Omran as the city was lacking in infrastructure to effectively promote MICE tourism, particularly as the sector is becoming more competitive.”
The centre will be managed by AEG Ogden and will feature a 3200-capacity auditorium, 22,000m² of exhibition space, 14 meeting rooms, two ballrooms accommodating up to 2360, a five-star hotel, two four-star properties and a three-star hotel and apartments, totalling 1000 units.
“The added visibility that the opening will bring and a destination marketing thrust by the tourism ministry will put Oman firmly on the global map in the international arena,” asserted Grand Hyatt Muscat general manager Christoph Franzen.
His views were echoed by Vanguelis Panayotis, CEO of the MKG group, who cautioned that the addition of budget hotel rooms in particular should accompany the development: “This type of activity is very much driven by supply, and as such, accommodation supply should easily match conference facilities – MICE destinations are usually sold as a complete package."
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