Oman will see an increase of about 11% in tourists this year, taking it to the two million mark, thanks to Gulf residents looking for cheaper holiday in the region, tourism officials and operators said on Sunday.
"The global crisis has forced Gulf nationals to travel closer from home and Oman is hugely benefitting from it," Khalid Al-Ghassan, Head of development at the ministry of tourism told Reuters.
"For the first time in any year on record, we expect about two million tourists in 2009," he added.
About 1.8 million tourists visited Oman in 2008 — 75% of that are regional residents from Oman's five energy-exporting neighbours who made up the Gulf Cooperation Council economic bloc, Ghassan said.
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The number of GCC residents visiting Oman has increased 6 percent in the first half of 2009 to 710,000 compared to the same period last year, Ghassan said.
About 1.1 million total tourists visited Oman in the first six months of this year, from 980,000 over the same period in 2008, according to Ghassan.
"The improvement of oil prices, and I guess the H1N1 flu has got something to do with the rise of GCC tourists as well," Suleiman Al Harthy, Managing Director of Horizon Tourism said.
Apart from Oman, the GCC states comprise of UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait. The GCC states rely heavily on crude oil exports, which make 70 percent of their income.
Gulf states have seen revenue fall with the slump in oil prices from a peak near $150 in July 2008. Crude prices have recovered from lows around $32 a barrel in December to around $70.
Travel agents said that Salalah in the south is the major tourist attraction for Gulf nationals for its mild weather in the summer and Ras Al Hadd during the winter.
"Gulf citizens and Europeans love Salalah during the summer and the place is booming...they also go to see turtle nesting at Ras Al Hadd," said Mustafa Al-Khairy of Bahwan Travels.
(Reuters)
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