OMAN: Oman Tourism Promotions In Paris And Milan

The Ministry of Tourism has organised workshops in Paris and Milan for trade partners including tour operators and hotels through its market-based representatives recently. The sessions, which were aimed at enhancing the cooperation between the international market and Oman, and increase the number of tourists visiting the Sultanate from these countries, have been well received by the masses there who showed considerable interest in visiting the country.

In the last many years, Oman has witnessed consistent growth in the number of visitors from Italy. With 33,915 people coming into the country in 2015, there has been an increase of 6.5 per cent from the previous year. Ministry is working towards replicating the same success with the French market, where 46,520 tourists visited Oman last year.

Officials from the Ministry of Tourism along with nearly 25 representative partners from the tourism industry of Oman, including Al Bustan Palace – A Ritz Carlton Hotel, Anantara Jabal Akhdar & Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara, Alila Jabal Akhdar, Muscat Hills, Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Six Senses Zighy Bay, The Chedi Muscat, Arabian Experience, Arabica Orient, Bahwan Tourism, Desert Camels Adventure Tours, Elite Travel & Tourism, Magic Arabia, Muscat Desert Gate, Quality Travel & Tourism, Sand Palm Oman Tours, Smart Travel & Tourism and Tour Oman and some regional airline partners, including Oman Air, were present at the workshop.

The audience consisted of local travel agents, tour operators, hotels, airlines and members from the media which included bloggers, journalists and travellers.

The 14th edition of the workshop in France saw over 200 tourism professionals gather to understand more about Oman Tourism and get an update on the latest developments on the tourism front. The Tourist Information School has organised a training session on the destination for the travel agents.

The sixth edition of the Italian workshop on tourism included presentations by the partners, which discussed the various offerings from Oman. This was followed by one-on-one B2B meetings between the various travel partners, and a networking cocktail dinner.

Speaking about the workshops, Asma al Hajry, Deputy Director-General, International Tourism Promotions, said, “Europe is a crucial market for Oman and workshops like these provide us with an avenue to showcase what the country has to offer in terms of tourism. We have a unique landscape, our deep-rooted culture and Omani hospitality will give tourists the most authentic Arabian experience. In previous years, our roadshows and exhibitions have met with astounding success and we are sure this year is no different.”

In addition to participating in international trade shows, the Ministry also organises roadshows annually to build individual relations with the trade partners. In 2015, the Ministry organised a roadshow in Brussels, Milan and Paris to highlight Oman’s participation in Expo Milan and a four-city roadshow across India (Chennai-Bangalore-New Delhi-Mumbai), and in 2014 MOT organised a four-city roadshow in Germany (Berlin – Dusseldorf – Hamburg – Frankfurt), GCC, Europe roadshow (France-Italy-Netherlands).