Rotana’s president and CEO Omer Kaddouri shares his insight into Salalah and why he chose it for the group’s first property in Oman...
What is your vision for the Salalah Rotana Resort?Being the largest resort in the area, we have positioned it as a landmark in setting the tone and standards of hospitality in Oman. We look forward to retaining that position and leading hospitality trends.
What are the main feeder markets for Salalah Rotana Resort?Oman and GCC (Oman 25 per cent, UAE 25 per cent, Saudi Arabia 25 per cent, Kuwait 10 per cent, Qatar 10 per cent, Bahrain 5 per cent), the region is also very popular amongst German speaking countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Austria followed by the UK, Russia, Scandinavia and France.
What is your favourite story from Salalah’s history?The Roman Emperor Nero was said to have burned an entire harvest of frankincense during his wife’s elaborate funeral.
What is the future of tourism in the region?All indicators show that the travel and tourism will experience exponential growth. For instance,
• An estimate of over 3,000 rooms due for completion by the end of 2014
• Port Sultan Qaboos’ expansion and transformation into tourism and cruise ship precinct.In 2013, 435,000 visitors from the Gulf visited Salalah during the Khareef season, an increase of over 80,000 on the previous year. Meanwhile, rhe new Salalah airport is expected to be completed in 2014, with the capacity to handle one million passengers. Future expansion is planned to extend capacity to six million passengers.
What is one thing guests at Salalah Rotana Resort can enjoy nowhere else in Salalah?The property is fully integrated in its natural surroundings with the waterways, which connect the property to the Indian Ocean, stunning white sandy beach coupled with the banana and coconut palms. It has a unique effect of transport guests’ mindset to a tranquil place.
What is there to see in Salalah? • The beautiful Indian Ocean beaches and coastline along with the natural attractions of the nearby mountains and abundant frankincense trees lining mountain wadis. Being able to spot turtles and dolphins from the Resort.
• UNESCO World Heritage Site of Al Balid among various other archeological site and monuments.
• Museum of the Frankincense Land.
• Wadi Darbat, its lush greenery and eerie mist during Khareef.