Dhofar beckons as khareef season gains pace
Published: 05:07 PM,Jul 03,2023 | EDITED : 09:07 PM,Jul 03,2023
Yet again, with the misty clime and salubrious nature that wears green blanket with the arrival of the khareef season, the southern tip of the Sultanate of Oman, the Dhofar Governorate is pulling tourists from the Gulf region as well as the world.
Monsoon season in the governorate's most awaited time of the year and in Dhofar, the mountain ranges witness sprouting greenery accompanied by the drizzles that give birth to a dreamy place far from the rest of the world.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) confirmed that the popularity of Salalah is increasing and attracting tourists thanks to its chilled, foggy and drizzling weather which turns the whole Governorate of Dhofar from sandy to lush green during the whole khareef season.
From the end of June to September, Salalah becomes the top tourist destination in khareef season, especially among the neighbouring Gulf countries and beyond and the number of tourists has been on a rise year after year.
'Dhofar Governorate, especially Salalah has been a major attraction to the visitors to the Sultanate of Oman and the number is steadily increasing,” confirms a Tourism official.
In 2022, approximately 165,704 visitors came to the Dhofar Governorate through the Salalah Airport, an increase of 20.4 per cent over the same period in 2019, which recorded 156,281 visitors. Out of the nationalities visited, Indians constituted 244,786, while British visitors stood at 133,529, visitors from Pakistan at 67,893, and from Germany at 55,126.
Better air connectivity has played a crucial role in pulling tourists to Salalah as the airport went for a mammoth renovation and the number of domestic flights during the khareef season of 2022 reached approximately 16,114 flights, against approximately 15,198 flights in 2019.
The number of flights carrying international tourists during khareef season of 2022 touched 149,590, an increase compared to 141,083 flights in 2019.
According to a report released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the visitors spending during the 2022 khareef season amounted to approximately RO 86 million, an increase compared to 2019, which was approximately RO 76 million, and the percentage of spending on housing out of the total expenditure of visitors for the year 2022 reached 32 per cent.
The report further added that the governorate has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Gulf region during the season due to its diverse natural features, exceptional weather and varied terrain which are major factors of tourism attraction.
Photos by Aji George
Monsoon season in the governorate's most awaited time of the year and in Dhofar, the mountain ranges witness sprouting greenery accompanied by the drizzles that give birth to a dreamy place far from the rest of the world.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) confirmed that the popularity of Salalah is increasing and attracting tourists thanks to its chilled, foggy and drizzling weather which turns the whole Governorate of Dhofar from sandy to lush green during the whole khareef season.
From the end of June to September, Salalah becomes the top tourist destination in khareef season, especially among the neighbouring Gulf countries and beyond and the number of tourists has been on a rise year after year.
'Dhofar Governorate, especially Salalah has been a major attraction to the visitors to the Sultanate of Oman and the number is steadily increasing,” confirms a Tourism official.
In 2022, approximately 165,704 visitors came to the Dhofar Governorate through the Salalah Airport, an increase of 20.4 per cent over the same period in 2019, which recorded 156,281 visitors. Out of the nationalities visited, Indians constituted 244,786, while British visitors stood at 133,529, visitors from Pakistan at 67,893, and from Germany at 55,126.
Better air connectivity has played a crucial role in pulling tourists to Salalah as the airport went for a mammoth renovation and the number of domestic flights during the khareef season of 2022 reached approximately 16,114 flights, against approximately 15,198 flights in 2019.
The number of flights carrying international tourists during khareef season of 2022 touched 149,590, an increase compared to 141,083 flights in 2019.
According to a report released by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the visitors spending during the 2022 khareef season amounted to approximately RO 86 million, an increase compared to 2019, which was approximately RO 76 million, and the percentage of spending on housing out of the total expenditure of visitors for the year 2022 reached 32 per cent.
The report further added that the governorate has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Gulf region during the season due to its diverse natural features, exceptional weather and varied terrain which are major factors of tourism attraction.
Photos by Aji George