MUSCAT: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, on Tuesday, organised the annual meeting of its tourism representation offices representing eight offices and covering 15 countries around the world at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Center. The aim of the meeting is to get acquainted with the latest developments in the tourism sector in the Sultanate of Oman.

The representatives of tourist representation offices reviewed all promotional programs and plans to be implemented at the local and foreign levels through meetings and workshops held during the past two days with the participation of representatives of the ministry, tourism companies and hotel establishments.

Haitham bin Mohammed Al Ghassani, Director General of Tourism Promotion at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said, “The ministry seeks to target international tourism-exporting markets through its tourism representation offices to increase the tourist flow to the Sultanate of Oman.”

Additionally, Oman also plans on intensifying promotional programs, introduce tourism components that attract different types of tourism interests, and provide stimulating packages and programs to maximise the economic return from the tourism sector in cooperation with local partners such as airlines, offices, travel companies and companies operating in the tourism sector.

The ministry has conducted a prior study on the targeted countries to open tourist representation offices in them based on global tourism data and indicators and has entered new markets that were newly included according to the studies, including the tourist representation office in China and the reopening of some offices that were closed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Al-Ghassani added, “The ministry selects these offices based on specific plans, studies and strategies that take into account the experiences they enjoy in the marketing aspect and the strength of the tourism market. It also pays great attention to estimating the level of awareness, knowledge and promotional programs offered by these offices and the extent of their impact, focus, relations and communication with local and international companies. This helps in promoting the Sultanate of Oman as a tourist destination that attracts tourists from different countries of the world, in addition to keeping abreast of all that is new in the various tourist markets.”

The ministry is also working to enhance the effective and strong presence of the Sultanate of Oman in the foreign tourism markets by participating in the most prominent events, activities and tourism activities that are held in various countries, whether exhibitions, workshops, forums related to the tourism aspect. Participation in these international events requires great efforts to coordinate, participate and display tourism products as well as implement information, awareness and information programs through social media, especially during travel seasons.

The Director General of Tourism Promotion indicated that one of the most important future expansion plans is to attract tourists from non-traditional markets and provide everything that suits these markets in terms of the work of various programs and activities that cover the needs and interests of these markets and provide services and facilities. This will raise the level of tourism movement to enhance local sources of income Increasing the occupancy rate of local hotels and small and medium-sized enterprises by increasing the number of tourist nights spent by tourists in the Sultanate of Oman by adding internal activities and activities in various governorates, stressing that the ministry is working to activate local tourism in addition to seeking to attract tourists from abroad.

The tourism representation offices contribute to strengthening the presence of the Sultanate of Oman in the most important tourist markets exporting tourists by implementing a number of promotional activities and programs to increase the tourist flow and introduce it as a tourist destination that attracts tourists and to keep pace with everything new in the various tourist markets to ensure that the programs, plans and activities fit with the requirements of these markets, in addition to seeking to open offices in non-traditional markets.