Muscat: There is a relative impact on the number of tourists coming to the Sultanate of Oman due to the geopolitical situations prevailing in the region, especially in West Asia.
"There is a relative impact of canceling some reservations and this is expected. We hope that the impact does not expand beyond a point as indicators are showing the growth of the tourism sector and the flow of outbound tourism globally is stable. As we are at the beginning of the winter tourism season, more than 450 unscheduled flights heading to Dhofar Governorate. These tourists will also visit the rest of the governorates," said Salem bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, who stressed that the Arab region still is witnessing tourism growth compared to other geographical regions, explaining that the volume of investment and tourism flow is very large.
He spoke on the sidelines of the Second Arab Forum for Tourism Statistics.
An estimated 790 million tourists traveled internationally in the first seven months of 2024, about 11 percent more than in 2023, though four percent less than in 2019.
Results were driven by strong demand across most regions, the ongoing recovery of Asia Pacific destinations, increased air connectivity, and visa facilitation. The Middle East remained the strongest-growing region, with international arrivals climbing 26 percent above 2019 levels.
According to UN Tourism, transport, and accommodation costs (65%), Middle East crisis (17%), travel restrictions and visa requirements (12%) geopolitical risks (11%), economic environment (61%), low consumer confidence (19%) are the main factors weighing n the recovery of international tourism.
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