The Ministry of Tourism, Oman, has claimed that up to US $ 35 billion will be invested in the tourism industry of the Sultanate over 25 years.
The authority predicts up to 80% of that investment will come from the private sector as the country plans to double the number of international visitors to five million as part of its new national 2040 Tourism Strategy.
Tourism officials, led by director general of tourism promotion Salim Al Mamari, conducted a number of business and trade meetings during ATM in Dubai last month.
Al Mamari said: “We have enjoyed a hugely successful Arabian Travel Market and have found unprecedented levels of interest from the tourism industry in seeking new partnerships and initiatives with the Ministry.”
“There is also an encouraging trend of tourism companies, specifically online portals now actively looking to invest in new projects and initiatives across the Sultanate who are clearly very excited about the opportunities for growth and prosperity the sector offers in Oman."
Oman’s 2040 strategy has the ambition of ensuring the tourism sector is responsible for 6% of the country’s GDP in the future and in 25 years will employ more than 500,000 people – with 70% of these jobs filled by Omani nationals.
He added: “It was also clear that the innovative ‘cluster’ approach of our 2040 tourism strategy is one that is clearly understood and welcomed by the wider tourism sector that sees how this initiative can deliver developments of a unique nature that cannot be found in other parts of the region.”
The MICE sector has been identified as a key pillar for future growth that will be boosted with the opening of the Oman Convention Centre in Muscat that in addition to exhibition halls and conference facilities will have four new hotels providing 1100 new rooms in the capital.
Oman will also see significant growth in the hotel sector with over 2,000 new hotel rooms opening in 2016 at destinations all over the country. By 2020 the country hopes to have 20,000 hotel rooms as the country gears up to rapidly growing demand and visitor numbers to the Sultanate.
| Advertisement |
Search our database of more than 2,700 industry companies
