Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman on Sunday declared a one-week Eid al Adha holiday, including weekends, which will begin on June 14 and continue until June 22.
With temperatures soaring in most parts of the country, there is limited scope for domestic tourism, except for places such as Jabel Akdhar, Jabel Shams, and Salalah in the Dhofar Governorate, which is currently preparing itself for a robust Khareef season, starting June 21.
As of Monday, Jabel Shams, with a maximum temperature of 28 °C and a minimum temperature of 20 ° and Salalah (33 °C and 29 °C), are among the coolest places in the country.
While Jabel Shams is suitable for a round-trip, Salalah, situated in the south of the Sultanate of Oman, has emerged as one of the popular summer destinations in the region.
The number of visitors who experienced the 2023 khareef in the Dhofar Governorate, including Salalah, was 962,000 in 2023, compared to 813,000 in the 2022 season.
Salalah is included in the annual report of 'The New York Times which lists the best international tourist destinations to visit in 2023. It was ranked second in the Arab world, and 26th globally. Algeria came first in the Arab world and 16th globally, while London came first globally.
Most of the travelers (nearly 70 percent) preferred to come by road from Muscat and the rest of the country due to expensive airfares, which saw the government's intervention to rationalize prices this year.
One-way fares to Salalah cost between RO29 and RO35 generally, while citizens are eligible for tickets under the fixed-priced system.
Outbound travel
While most GCC countries have similar higher temperatures, foreign trips can be mainly to the countries that offer e-visas or visas on arrival.
Asian destinations can be explored, as some countries are amidst monsoon rains around this time of the year.
Oman citizens can travel to 44 countries without a visa, 47 countries with a visa on arrival, seven countries with ETA, and 100 countries without a visa
GCC residents in the Sultanate can travel to Georgia and stay without a visa for 90 days in any 180 days.
The GCC residents can get a visa on arrival in Egypt. All nationalities can avail of visas upon arrival in the Maldives.
To enter Sri Lanka, all visitors must obtain a visa either upon arrival or beforehand. For tourism purposes, visitors must obtain Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) to be eligible for a visa on arrival, except those exempt from the requirement.
Countries to be explored in Europe to beat the summer heat of the GCC are Turkey (no visa for Omanis), Italy, and Greece (Schengen visa).
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