MUSCAT: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has commenced a fieldwork survey to assess the effectiveness of its promotional activities, prompted by scrutiny from the State Audit Institution.
Earlier in October, the State Audit Institution questioned the effectiveness of the Ministry's tourism promotional activities despite an expenditure of approximately RO 3.4 million from 2017 to 2021.
According to the report, the Ministry failed to identify the effectiveness of its promotional campaigns in introducing and promoting the Sultanate of Oman as a tourism destination. As a result, the Ministry proposed the creation of tools to measure the effectiveness of tourism promotion activities and programs in collaboration with the National Centre for Statistics and Information.
The survey, which began on Friday, December 1, will target departing visitors to the country and returning locals and residents, according to an ONA report.
It will be conducted by the National Centre for Statistics and Information in collaboration with the Royal Oman Police and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.
The surveys will take place at Muscat International Airport, Salalah Airport, and the land border crossings, spanning 232 working days throughout the rest of this year and until the end of 2024.
The State Audit Institution also noted difficulty in measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the Ministry's foreign tourism representation offices in attracting tourists, stating that the Ministry spent 33 percent of the total funds allocated to its tourism promotion program on these offices (RO 5.6 million).
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
