Sultanate continues
to feature on global destination hotlists; 1.4 million international tourists
targeted by 2019 with increased airport capacity and diverse offering key to growth
The annual Arabian Travel
Market roadshow series returned to Oman on Thursday 11 February, as the
Sultanate continues to work on leveraging its international profile, which saw
inbound tourism numbers rise by an average of 7.4% per annum in the decade
2005-14 and 1.4 million
international tourism arrivals targeted by 2019, up from 1.1 million in 2015.
The Reed Travel Exhibitions
team were in Muscat, to meet with key industry players from across the country
and discuss exhibitor opportunities for this year’s annual travel industry
showcase as well as look at where the country stands with regards to its US$3.3
billion worth of tourism related projects.
Exhibitors from the
Sultanate attending ATM 2016, which takes place at Dubai International
Convention & Exhibition Centre from 25-28 April, include the Oman Ministry
of Tourism, which has forecasted hotel room capacity to expand at an annual growth
rate of 5.3% over the next three to four years, and contribute 10% of GDP by
2020.
“Oman’s Tourism Strategy for
2015 through to 2040 has an investment value of US$35 billion and the country
is working hard to increase its global appeal with exciting initiatives such as
the launch of an e-visa system by Royal Oman Police in February last year,”
said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition Manager, Arabian Travel Market.
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“It has also been a
destination on several travel hotlists, and was ranked in 20th spot
on the New York Times list of one of the 52 places to visit in 2015 as well as
gaining kudos from popular travel site, Skift, which last year named it as the
number one spot in the region, saying that it ‘packs a lot [into] a small
package’,” she added.
It is also seventh out of the
100 places most favored by Muslim tourists, according to the Global Muslim
Travel Index.
Recent figures from the Oman Airports Management Company for both Muscat and
Salalah airports recorded an 18% rise in passenger numbers through the
capital’s gateway in 2015, surpassing the 10 million passenger mark for the
first time in its operational history, while Salalah Airport also saw a
rise in traffic by 22% to reach more than one million passengers.
Accessibility
is a key focus with Oman Air, for example, launching a new route to Dhaka and
enhanced capacity to Frankfurt, Colombo, Tehran and Dammam.
“These figures are
indicative of the growing appeal of Oman to a diverse international audience
and the country is expanding its tourism offering to
cater to all segments including mid-market, which is something that we are
focusing on this year as our spotlight theme,” said Noblet-Segers.
“This is responding not only
to the needs of the more budget-conscious traveller, but also for those whom
quality and experience-led travel doesn't necessarily have to mean a five-star
price tag,” she added.
According to the Reed Travel
Exhibitions commissioned Q3 2015 YouGov Travel Oracle insight report, one-third
(36%) of surveyed leisure travellers from the region now choose budget hotels
when travelling for pleasure, with Asian expats the most likely to opt for low
cost accommodation (52%) and 35% of all respondents stating that reasonable
cost is one of the most important elements when considering a leisure
destination.
Overall, 41% of travellers
interviewed had a per person trip budget of US$1,000 or less, thus putting cost
high on the priority list.
The YouGov report also
looked at business travel, with 15% of total respondents reporting a decrease
in corporate travel budget over the last 12 months, which is accordingly
highlighting an opportunity for mid-level brands to target the newly
budget-conscious corporate traveller.
The visibility of special
deals/promotions when selecting a hotel for business travel was also raised in
the research, with 18% of those surveyed naming special offers as the top
decision influencer followed by the influence of the company travel organiser
(15%).
ATM 2016 will build on the
success of this year’s edition with the announcement of an additional hall as
Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking achievements
earlier this year. ATM 2015 witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance
increase of 15% to over 26,000, with exhibiting companies increasing by 5% to
2,873. Business deals worth more than US$2.5 billion were signed over the four
days.
For more information on Arabian Travel Market 2016,
please go to: www.arabiantravelmarket.com
