Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Ramadan 17, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Tapping the entrepreneurial potential of Oman’s tourism resources

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Social stability, human capital, favourable geographical location, pristine beaches, majestic mountains and sand dunes, various fauna and flora species, remains of ancient civilization and history, all of these and more make Oman a unique tourist destination.


Over the past decade, tourists from all over the world have flooded Oman and have been fully enjoying mesmerizing landscapes and adrenaline-pumping outdoor activities that the Sultanate generously provides.


However, the fact remains that compared to other countries of similar socio-economic standing to Oman, entrepreneurial potential of tourism sector in the country has not been given the atten-tion it deserves.


There is a strong doubt that the local population of Oman is aware of the lucrative business opportunities that tourism can offer them.


This doubt has resonated with a group of third-year undergraduate students from the College of Economics and Political Science (CEPS), Sultan Qaboos University, and prompted them to study the subject further.


In the framework of the course “Business Communication” (BCOM 2911) they conducted a research entitled “Entrepreneurial Potential of Tourism Sector in Oman”.


The students analyzed the current tourism situation in Oman, researched successful internation-al projects in the tourism sector around the world, studied opportunities for entrepreneurial ac-tivities in rural areas, and explored business ventures in adventure tourism.


Based on the findings of the research, the conclusion is that the least developed but the most promising business segment related to tourism is rural entrepreneurship in Oman.


Currently, a handful of coffee shops and guest houses catering to tourists are scattered around and operate in villages located in the interior of Oman and its costal line.


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A few self-employed fishermen roam around looking for tourists on the beaches ready to offer them a boat ride or their catch of the day.

Some entrepreneurial individuals chase tourists at the campsites selling handmade baskets, key chains and carpets.


Obviously, the entrepreneurial spirit is in abundance but the entrepreneurial eco and support system has not been properly established.


One of the optimal solutions is: to set up a network of B&Bs (bed and breakfast) run by the vil-lagers; to mark and map hiking trails through villages; to open shops selling local crafts, tradi-tional Omani specialties and herbs; to offer traditional Omani cuisine cooking classes.


In addition, the locals can establish their small tour agencies or work as solo tour guides or un-der the umbrella of locally based cooperative.


They can also consider proving transportation services to tourist. All the available facilities and services should be communicated to the tourists at the Tourist Centers to be set up in popular tourist locations or advertised on a website designed by private sector in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism.


In this context the initiative of local municipality in one of the Sicilian villages in Italy is worth mentioning. The municipality sells old, dilapidated houses for the price of 1 euro to any local or international investor! In return the person who buys any building has to renovate it within 4 years of purchase.


If implemented in Oman, this project will benefit the locals immensely since local craftsmen will be recruited to refurbish the old houses.


Moreover, local shops will have more customers visiting them. Investors can take this oppor-tunity to open up cafés and restaurants with an authentic vibe to them or rent out the renovated houses to tourists who would like to stay in a traditional Omani bait.


Since the traditional cultural heritage is of such high value to Omani entrepreneurs and tourists, it is essential to preserve it and pass it on from generation to generation. This function can be performed by an institute that recruits experienced local Omani men and women to teach young people and any other interested individuals the art of traditional Omani craft making.


Since craft- making is a form of self-expression and an outlet for creativity, tourists would be excited to attend the classes provided by the afore-mentioned institute. Furthermore, tourists would be willing to buy the variety of locally produced crafts available and they might as well take courses to learn how to make them themselves.


The second highly promising yet to be further developed sector for tourism-oriented entrepre-neurial activities in Oman is adventure tourism due to the geo and bio diversity of the country.


Oman offers a range of activities for tourists with different levels of physical abilities – from caving and mountain climbing (hard core dudes!) to swimming with dolphins (active kids and mellow adults). But businesses taking care of this sector are scarce.


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The number of shops selling or renting mountaineering, camping or sailing gear is close to zero. And they are only available in Muscat. Professionally trained guides are quite rare to find. Leave alone those ones who can train you to do up sailing or any other physically and techni-cally challenging activities. These are all the potential opportunities for local entrepreneurs to delve into.

One of the projects that might interest the investors is setting up underwater adventure in places like Dimaniyat Island and Hallaniyah Island in Batinah region. It will benefit local fishermen and local tour agencies.


Another project local businesspeople might want to have a look at is a ski bike adventure which is a new idea that many tourists will enjoy. It will open many job opportunities for local resi-dents to run this project.


Valid business ideas sadly often remain just ideas. The obstacles for putting them into practice are plenty. To mention a few: lack of awareness and business training among the rural commu-nities, xenophobia, limited experience of running a business, lack of safety regulations.


Therefore, in order to boost tourism in Oman, private sector, government authorities and local communities should work hand in hand on setting up policies and support system for those en-trepreneurs who have an intention to start up a business in the tourist sector. After all, they are the ones who dare.


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