Muscat to have more city hotels

MASTER PLAN: Customised tourist accommodation for each governorate

The percentage of city hotels in Muscat will go up to 63 per cent by 2022 from the current 45 per cent with Al Khuwair emerging as a major hotel district, said experts from the hospitality sector.

Currently, the percentage of beach resorts and city hotels is equally divided at 45 per cent in Muscat, but that will change with the government preparing a master plan for various types of tourism accommodations as per the needs of each governorate.

To be ready by the year-end, the strategy to be prepared in coordination with the consultants, will specify the number of hotel rooms required for each governorate, in line with the development of various tourist attractions, said a senior official at the Ministry of Tourism (MOT).

Speaking to the Observer, Lubna al Mazroei, Head of the Studies Department, Directorategeneral of Planning, Ministry of Tourism, said, “We want to tell investors about the new opportunities in the tourism accommodation sector. We are also looking at each governorate differently, and the types of accommodation could vary from villas to townhouses to hotels and apartments.”

Lubna added that the focus will be not only on four to five stars, but also on the one to three-star hotel accommodations.

She added, “For example, Musandam has a mountain terrain and we will be looking at

“WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT EACH GOVERNORATE DIFFERENTLY, AND THE TYPES OF ACCOMMODATION COULD VARY FROM VILLAS TO TOWNHOUSES TO HOTELS AND APARTMENTS”

accommodations by the shores, on the mountains and lodges on the boats or dhows as per customer preferences.”

According to Mohammed al Zadjali, Directorgeneral of Investors Services and Quality Management, (MOT), five different governorates were identified, starting with Dhofar Governorate. The master plans for Muscat, Musandam and Al Sharqiyah South will be completed by this year. Al Zadjali said the classification procedures for hotels have been improvised and are still being reviewed.

“Oman is a vast and diverse country and the accommodations by beach and mountains have their own identity. The requirements of a fourstar hotel in Muscat can’t be the same from that of four-star hotel in a mountain or desert area.”

A leading economist based in Oman said that the tourism strategy should focus on developing activities like wind surfing, marine adventure, alongside a strong advertising campaign.