ITALIAN industrial engineer Elisa Visentini, fueled by a passion for travel and enchanted by Oman’s exquisite beauty, has recently founded her own Destination Management Company (DMC).
Despite her graduation in an unrelated field, Elisa’s true calling has always been the accumulation of life experiences, driving her to pursue a career in tourism — an ideal path for her.
Elisa’s vision was to curate unforgettable travel experiences for adventurous souls, drawing inspiration from her personal journeys.
She firmly believes in the transformative power of remarkable experiences, which can bring healing and leave a lasting positive impact on one’s life. Elisa is dedicated to ensuring that travellers’ expeditions not only meet their expectations, but also surpass them whenever possible.
Since 2016, Elisa has been working as a tourist guide in Oman. She has formed deep but temporary bonds with her guests, which leave a sense of emptiness after bidding them farewell at the end of their stay.
Elisa vividly recalls the exhilarating feeling the night before her maiden tour with her first Italian group, after receiving her licence from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism. She couldn’t believe she would be paid for such an amazing job.
After years of working in Oman, Elisa has made tourism her main profession, focusing primarily on tailor-made offers. She arranges visits for tourists both within Oman and for foreigners, emphasising targeted itineraries based on personal discussions with her guests.
Through years of hard work, she has come to realise that her job is more demanding than others, requiring a wide range of abilities, a flexible and empathetic personality, and dedication.
However, the happiness and gratitude expressed by her guests, as well as the emotional satisfaction she derives from her work, are rare rewards that cannot be easily achieved in other sectors.
Elisa believes that Oman’s ‘biggest potential lies in adventure and experience tourism,’ and she strives to incorporate this into the itineraries she proposes.
She actively includes off-road routes, avoids paved roads whenever possible, and facilitates immersive and exclusive experiences like hiking and canyoning to provide European travellers with a profound sense of wilderness that differs from their own realities. Elisa also adds value to her offers by suggesting lesser-known destinations and minimising time spent on more popular ones.
Elisa's purpose also extends to creating leisure packages for locals and residents, as well as thematic itineraries near Muscat specifically tailored for school students during the summer months. This was the driving force behind her decision to establish her own DMC.
In her experience, Elisa has found that Omanis have a warm and welcoming attitude towards tourists, which has been further amplified by the widespread use of social media. Tourists now opt for new boutique hotels located in traditional villages.
Elisa also emphasises supporting local artisans and their handcrafted products and intends to develop specific itineraries focused on this aspect in the future.
As for her future plans, Elisa (@elisakashmir.it) is currently working on various ideas, such as expanding her business, introducing new destinations, or offering additional services. Due to her personal interest in hiking and canyoning, she aims to target and further develop these potentials by incorporating them into her itineraries and collaborating with partners who specialise in this niche market.
This approach will ensure a steady influx of inbound tourism during the summer months when the adventure sector thrives while the classic tours may be affected by rising temperatures.
Through her personalised itineraries and dedication to providing immersive adventures, she aims to showcase the country’s vast potential and leave a lasting impact on those who explore its remarkable landscapes.
@lijucherianoman
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