He continues: “When we started promoting Oman as a tourism destination, 10 years back, we didn’t take into consideration talking about experiences. I remember in 1991 when I used to go to UK for the World Tourism Market exhibition, we used to have a small stand, and they [visitors] were passing us and never visiting because they didn’t even know about Oman, or what Oman offered, but now when I go to London I am fully booked with appointments.”
As times continue to change, Al Mamari acknowledges the need to adapt to new methods of promoting Oman to new source markets: “We utilise online channels and social media as the main ways of promoting hotels and destinations – and you can reach the people in the home, office and on the train through social media, this is where our audience is, technology is moving so fast and you have to adapt to it.”
Demand in the mid-market
With more economy properties in the pipeline and a national strategy that was designed and approved to take into consideration the mid-market sector, Al Mamari points out from where he believes the future demand for this sector will originate. “One-star to three-star properties should be available to serve those who are both coming from outside the country and also those from inside,” he begins.
“According to our latest study, and looking at the statistics obtained through the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), there are two big markets coming: China and India.” Oman is already targeting India, due to high levels connectivity through multiple airline carriers already serving multiple destinations between the countries.
He adds: “Big similarities exist between India and Oman when it comes to tourism: we both enjoy food, music and family living.”
However if China is to become a top source market in the future it will require additional development and investment if it is to become a key source for the Omani mid-market sector. “With China we need enough new restaurants to cater to their taste, in additional to trained tour guides, because they come in big groups, in Oman we are not yet ready to facilitate this level of activity.”
Sustaining Development
Maintaining growth of the mid-market sector must be done in compliance with environmental standards, says Al Mamari. “I think Oman was the only country in this part of the world to start a Ministry of Environment,” he claims. “Any project in Oman, whether tourism or industrial, it has to go [comply] with the lowest regulation of this ministry in order to gain approval.” He continues: “When we talk about nature, it is so important to tourism; you can destroy it with buildings, cruises, dhows, diving – so absolutely we are very keen and have strong rules and regulations to protect it.”
“We are planning for today and for the long-term. Tourism is a tricky business; it is easy to attract people and it is easy to bring in money from tourism, but if you don’t control it – then you have to scale it back to fix the very problems that you created.” He adds: “People see Oman and they see it is slow, but this is deliberate. Our people are very happy and one of the most educated in this area, they encourage tourism too, but they worry and care about their home, they want to meet new people but with highest respect for their country.”
Al Mamari concludes: “Nowadays the trend in tourism is changing. Green tourism is growing in popularity. Of course there are people who enjoy the five-star luxury accommodation, but there are now people who may be rich enough for five-star travel but they love to stay in these traditional [mid-market] hotels. They enjoy this lifestyle, they want to find a quiet place to visit, to live with harmony, and this is what we are developing in Oman.”
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