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Seeing is believing for agents: Oman’s back to normal

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Al Mamari: all’s well

Oman is back on the sales agenda for agents following a fam trip to the region, where industry professionals were able to see for themselves just how little the tourism infrastructure was affected by Cyclone Gonu.

With the exception of the Chedi Resort, which suffered water damage and will remain closed for the next few weeks, all other hotels and resorts were open through the storm and continue to be fully operational.
Salim Al Mamari, director general, Promotions at the Ministry of Tourism said, “We had heard some negative comments about the state of Oman’s tourism infrastructure, particularly from people contacting our overseas offices, and we wanted to invite a few travel professionals to come to Muscat and see for themselves that everything is operating as normal.”
In addition to lodging facilities, he said all sightseeing tours are available and the souqs are open, as are the museums and beautiful beaches.
Michelle Fernandes, contracting manager for Destinations of the World said, “I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I arrived in Muscat, however I could quickly see that the cyclone hadn’t really had any effect on the city’s hotels and resorts. Having toured the city for myself I now feel confident promoting Muscat to our travel agency network. They in turn should be telling their customers that the tourism infrastructure in Oman is back to normal.”
Besides Muscat, the country's tourism infrastructure across Oman was not affected by the recent storm. Salalah, more than 1,000km south of Muscat is enjoying a beautiful sub-tropical climate and much cooler temperatures than the rest of the Gulf. The city is getting ready for the Khareef Season which officially begins in the middle of July. More than 300,000 people will descend on the city to enjoy the beautiful countryside, where the mountains and surrounding hills and plains are transformed by the summer monsoons into a lush green canvas. With the rains having come early this year and the countryside is already turning green.
Oman is making an extra special effort this summer to welcome visitors from around the Gulf. Whether Arab nationals or resident expatriates, activities have been planned to ensure that everyone has a good time and experience the best of what Oman has to offer from June to September.

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