The Sultanate of Oman is set to invest OMR 15m (US $39m) to develop tourism infrastructure as it attempts to raise the country’s profile with a range of pipeline projects, including the development of 5331 hotel rooms, or 7% of GCC expected supply, with 2000 expected by end of 2013.
The above figures were announced as the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2013 road show stopped in Muscat and met with Omani exhibitors ahead of their participation at ATM 2013, the largest travel market showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world.
“The Omani government has allocated US$39 million to develop tourism sites in Dhofar province this year, as the annual Khareef (monsoon) season attracts increasing numbers of local, regional and international visitors. This shift of focus outside of the capital, Muscat, is a clear sign that the Sultanate is powering ahead with a well thought-out and diversified plan for tourism growth,” said the organisers of ATM 2013, Reed Travel Exhibitions, portfolio director Mark Walsh.
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Oman’s ministry of tourism also revealed that the hospitality market is forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.6% between 2011 and 2016 with occupancy rates expected to increase from 53% in 2011 to 58.6% by 2016. Average daily rates are set to benefit as occupancy rates strengthen, increasing from OMR 95 ($245) in 2011 to OMR 100 ($259) by 2016.
Muscat was the penultimate destination for the ATM 2013 road show, with previous road show locations in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon.
The final event will take place in the UAE this month.
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