Approval for setting up 9 new hotel, resorts in Musandam
MUSCAT: More than 170,000 tourists visited Musandam via ports of Khasab and Daba in 2017. 128,000 occupants in hotel facilities in the governorate last year
Adventure tourism attracts tourists and efforts to implement 6 to 8 mountain trails More than 30,000 people visited castles, forts in the governorate last year Musandam has diverse natural sites including beaches, islands, mountains, and oasis.
Musandam governorate saw a remarkable tourist growth in the year 2017.
The total number of tourists to Khasab ports in 2017 reached to about 170,037, compared with 161,84 tourists in the year 2016 which is a growth of more than 5.3 per cent.
The growth in tourism is due to the diversity of the tourist attractions which include high mountains and deep sea, its sandy beaches.
Its coastline has a series of beautiful aqueducts and labyrinthine corridors and marine islands, in addition to archaeological sites which shows Omani history.
Musandam governorate is one of the most important places in the Sultanate which has promising opportunities for tourism investments.
The hotels saw a remarkable occupancy rate in the year 2017, with the total number of guests in these hotels — from one star to five star — reached to about 128,127.
This has reflected in the shape of massive investments in the tourism sector, with the approval of setting up of nine hotels and resorts.
The total number of tourist companies in the governorate reached to 26 which created 357 jobs for Omanis.
Mousa bin Issa al Riyami, Adviser for Human Resources Development and Director in charge of Tourism Administration in Musandam governorate, said that the Ministry of Tourism has made Musandam governorate as one of its priorities in the sustainable tourism development, in accordance with the Omani strategy for economic development and comprehensive plan for Musandam governorate in partnership with private sector.
A number of tourist lands were presented for tourism investment in the governorate.
This is in addition to preparation of a general tourism plan for Musandam governorate, under Oman tourism strategy.
Development of tourist areas creating various tourism projects and services to increase the efficiency of the operation through: inventory of tourist sites, general condition of these places, planning for these sites and their land use, plan of investment required and the road map to implement the investments.
In the area of tourism promotion, Al Riyami said that the governorate has enjoyed a large share of tourism promotion thanks to the continuous efforts of specialists in the Directorate General of Tourism Promotion in the Ministry.
The plans are based on promoting the Sultanate as an integrated package, in addition to promoting each governorate according to their components.
Musandam governorate is also being promoted as part of the whole package and its own advantages through the promotional channels of the ministry and in various local, regional and international events.
This is also in the tourism events organised by the ministry in cooperation and coordination with the concerned authorities to achieve the objectives of increasing the awareness of tourism among the members of the society and encouraging domestic tourism.
Al Riyami also said that the province has paved roads which connect Khasab and Daba through Jabal Harim and Wadi Khib Al Shamsi, which provides a great opportunity for the influx of tourists, especially for adventure tourism enthusiasts.
The areas between Jabal Harim and Wadi Al Khib is an attractive tourist destination for adventure enthusiasts who like climbing and exploration.