Happy Holidays! Which kind of tourist?
With New Year and the Eid al Adha coinciding in 2006, I assume that the hotels in Muscat were very busy.
I can't answer for the occupancy rates of the upmarket hotels. Both Gulf News and the Oman Observer emphasised that it was Asian expatriates resident in UAE who were heading in droves over the border to cheaper hotels and apartments in Muscat.
Thanks to the Muscat Festival which began on January 1st, nationals from List 2, which includes India, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Morocco, would have been able to get a visa on arrival in Oman, providing they were members of a formal tourist party.
50% to 75% of the Eid visitors were reckoned to have travelled from Dubai and other parts of UAE, followed by Kuwait and Qatar. By contrast, the number of business visitors was lower, but that would hardly be surprising given the season.
Al-Hoota Cave in the Dhakhiliya region south-east of Muscat, newly opened in early December, was a big attraction for visitors from the UAE according to an official at the Ministry of Tourism. The cave has a 5-km-long tunnel running through the Al Hajar Mountains with a small railway leading to a cavern with a subterranean lake.
Oman is near enough to Dubai for workers to have enjoyed their 3-day Eid holiday with a relatively short distance to their destination. Contrast that with the 9-day holiday awarded to the public sector in Oman. The private sector received five days.
Residents of Oman were heading in the other direction to Dubai to enjoy the Dubai Shopping Festival, or flying off to Singapore, Malaysia and Bangkok, or simply going home to visit their families in rural villages. The Oman Observer reported on 31st December that amusement parks were packed, as were cafes and restaurants. Many people were reported to have set up barbecues on the beach.
A holiday cruise between Muscat and Dubai planned by Light and Shadow Enterprise to combine the New Year's Eve and Eid Al Adha holidays aboard the Dream Princess, had to be cancelled at the last minute, blamed on bureaucratic and technical hitches. Memories of the awful accident on the dhow in Bahrain earlier in 2006 might have been at the back of people's minds. Apparently, the guest list included 'some of Oman's top dignitaries, captains of industry and leading personalities,' all eager to part with RO150 for the experience.
Where were the upmarket tourists that Oman is supposed to be trying to attract? How did they enjoy Eid and the New Year?
Well, the cruise ship Costa Classica arrived at Sultan Qaboos Port on 21st December with 1, 276 tourists on board. The ship was received by His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Issa al Harthy, Minister of Transport and Communications and Dr Rajha bint Abdulameer bin Ali, Minister of Tourism according to the Oman Observer, so you can't say that there wasn't an effort to welcome those on board.
A seven day cruise with Costa Crociere in January calls at Bahrain, ports in the UAE and Muscat for a mere 1,359 euros.
What the Oman Observer did not report but Gulf News did were the remarks of Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere.
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As a footnote to the previous entry, lastminute.com has just landed in my Inbox with an offer of 7 nights inclusive in Sharm el Sheikh in 3* accommodation from £199. Can't be bad if all I was seeking was the sun, the nightlife and the diving. No problem with visas.
I can't answer for the occupancy rates of the upmarket hotels. Both Gulf News and the Oman Observer emphasised that it was Asian expatriates resident in UAE who were heading in droves over the border to cheaper hotels and apartments in Muscat.
Thanks to the Muscat Festival which began on January 1st, nationals from List 2, which includes India, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Lebanon and Morocco, would have been able to get a visa on arrival in Oman, providing they were members of a formal tourist party.
50% to 75% of the Eid visitors were reckoned to have travelled from Dubai and other parts of UAE, followed by Kuwait and Qatar. By contrast, the number of business visitors was lower, but that would hardly be surprising given the season.
Al-Hoota Cave in the Dhakhiliya region south-east of Muscat, newly opened in early December, was a big attraction for visitors from the UAE according to an official at the Ministry of Tourism. The cave has a 5-km-long tunnel running through the Al Hajar Mountains with a small railway leading to a cavern with a subterranean lake.
Oman is near enough to Dubai for workers to have enjoyed their 3-day Eid holiday with a relatively short distance to their destination. Contrast that with the 9-day holiday awarded to the public sector in Oman. The private sector received five days.
Residents of Oman were heading in the other direction to Dubai to enjoy the Dubai Shopping Festival, or flying off to Singapore, Malaysia and Bangkok, or simply going home to visit their families in rural villages. The Oman Observer reported on 31st December that amusement parks were packed, as were cafes and restaurants. Many people were reported to have set up barbecues on the beach.
A holiday cruise between Muscat and Dubai planned by Light and Shadow Enterprise to combine the New Year's Eve and Eid Al Adha holidays aboard the Dream Princess, had to be cancelled at the last minute, blamed on bureaucratic and technical hitches. Memories of the awful accident on the dhow in Bahrain earlier in 2006 might have been at the back of people's minds. Apparently, the guest list included 'some of Oman's top dignitaries, captains of industry and leading personalities,' all eager to part with RO150 for the experience.
Where were the upmarket tourists that Oman is supposed to be trying to attract? How did they enjoy Eid and the New Year?
Well, the cruise ship Costa Classica arrived at Sultan Qaboos Port on 21st December with 1, 276 tourists on board. The ship was received by His Highness Sayyid Haitham bin Tareq al Said, Minister of Heritage and Culture, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, Minister of Commerce and Industry; Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Issa al Harthy, Minister of Transport and Communications and Dr Rajha bint Abdulameer bin Ali, Minister of Tourism according to the Oman Observer, so you can't say that there wasn't an effort to welcome those on board.
A seven day cruise with Costa Crociere in January calls at Bahrain, ports in the UAE and Muscat for a mere 1,359 euros.
What the Oman Observer did not report but Gulf News did were the remarks of Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and CEO of Costa Crociere.
"I urge the government here to improve infrastructure like airports, ports and hotels," he said. "The facilities are good but there is a lot of room for improvement."Ah, yes, visas. One always wonders when entering Oman whether you're really wanted.
He said he would like to see seaports become more passenger friendly. "Passengers should be treated like passengers," he said, hoping that visa procedures will also be simplified to make it easier for the tourism wishing to come here and explore the beautiful landscapes.
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As a footnote to the previous entry, lastminute.com has just landed in my Inbox with an offer of 7 nights inclusive in Sharm el Sheikh in 3* accommodation from £199. Can't be bad if all I was seeking was the sun, the nightlife and the diving. No problem with visas.
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