MUSCAT: Travel must be high on the plans for some citizens and residents during the upcoming Eid al Fitr holidays, which are just two weeks from now.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in the Sultanate has been encouraging domestic tourism through various promotional campaigns, which include using social media networking sites and social media influencers.
As per the feedback assessed by the Observer, through its social media platform, it was revealed that most respondents preferred to travel within Oman, while others would be just staying at home and a small percent considered traveling abroad.
For inbound tourists, travel operators too are in the fray with a range of packages that can be booked in advance or after arrival in the Sultanate.
With rising temperatures, for domestic tourism, Jabal Akhdar and Jabal Shams are promoted as preferred options for domestic and international tourists, including single-day tours.
It may be noted that three to five-star hotels saw an increase of 18 per cent in the number of guests (433,856) in the first two months of 2024, compared to 366,969 in 2023, with the occupancy rate going up to 61.5 from 55.3 per cent in 2023.
With a range of hotels, hotel apartments, and resorts, the Sultanate is also an attractive and viable option for residents of other GCC countries due to its liberal tourist e-visa, visa-on-arrival, or visa-free schemes. Most GCC residents can enter the Sultanate of Oman using Visa Type 29A (Resident Tourist Visa), some categories of travelers may not need any type of visa for a short stay of less than 14 days.
Travelers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have the option to arrive in the country directly by road.
Outbound tourism: Among popular destinations, Oman citizens can travel visa-free to Turkey this year. In 2022, 130,000 Omanis entered Türkiye for tourism purposes, which is expected to increase with the ease of travel rules this time. Currently, Oman Air, SalamAir, Pegasus Airlines, and Turkish Airlines fly to destinations in Turkey from the Sultanate with some fares starting from around RO 50 (one-way) to RO 150 (one-way).
Other popular international destinations include Malaysia, Thailand, Kenya, Serbia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
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