Looking to boost tourist traffic from India, the Ministry of Tourism in association with Oman Air conducted multi-city roadshows in India this month. The road show commenced on September 19 at the Park Hyatt in Hyderabad. Later, it moved to The Oberoi in Kolkata on September 21; the Courtyard by Marriott in Ahmedabad on September 23 and JW Marriott in Pune on September 26.
Oman’s National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) revealed that Oman received 299,022 Indian nationals last year, reflecting a 17 per cent growth in 2015 from 2014. The data also reflected a growth of 60 per cent in the number of Indians travelling to Oman in the last five years. The statistics also revealed that 1.5 million International visitors travelled into Oman between January and July 2016.
Officials from the Ministry of Tourism – Oman along with representative partners from the tourism industry of Oman, including Al Bustan Palace – A Ritz Carlton Hotel, Arabian Experience, Al Nahda Resort & Spa, Alila Jabal Akhdar, Elite Tours, Anantara Resorts, Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Six Senses Zighy Bay, Magic Arabica, Bahwan Tours, Grand Hyatt, Omran Hotels & Resorts, Tour Oman, Zahara Tours and Oman Air were present at the roadshow.
For the B2B session, Oman Tourism invited travel agents for prefixed meetings with the delegates from Oman. The roadshow saw a stupendous response and was well attended by travel agents and tour operators in all the cities.
“In 2015, we witnessed a growth of 17 per cent in Indian arrivals and in the first six months of 2016 too we have seen positive growth,” said Lubaina Sheerazi, Ministry of Tourism – India representative. “This year, we also identified Kolkata as a new market for Oman and will be conducting our first road show in the city. With this new addition, Oman has made its presence felt in eight Indian cities, with Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai being our main markets,” she stated further.
The Sultanate’s Ministry of Tourism has also started promoting Oman as an ideal wedding destination for Indians as Muscat is close to India. As Oman is surrounded by mighty mountains, valleys, deserts and beaches, the Sultanate is an excellent short-haul destination from India, according to ministry officials.
