Muscat: The five-day Eid al Adha holiday begins in the Sultante of Oman on Sunday, extending to nine days with weekends on both sides. The official work for private and public sectors will resume on June 23.
The first day of Eid al Adha will be marked in Oman on Monday.
With temperatures soaring in most parts of the country, places such as Jabel Akdhar, Jabel Shams, and Salalah in the Dhofar Governorate are currently preferred places for domestic tourism for relatively cooler climates.
According to local sources, maximum temperatures in Salalah are currently above 30°C and above, the official Khareef season will begin on June 21 and continue until September 20.
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 was 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.
This year's holiday season also coincides with vacations for some expatriate communities with Indian schools in the country closed for vacations and most of them back home for vacation.
While most GCC countries have similar temperatures, foreign trips organized can be mainly to the countries that offer e-visas or visas on arrival, though ticket prices can be on the higher side at the moment for any last-minute travel.
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.
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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