(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) The Asian market is the largest source of international arrivals in Oman, as the region accounts for 34.4 per cent of overall visits, and forecast says that arrivals are to further rise to 41.3 per cent by 2017. Indian nationals account for 72.3 per cent of the total Asian visitors.
After Asia, the European market represents the next largest source, followed by the Middle East, Egypt and North America respectively.
Colliers International, an advisory services company present in MENA for the last two decades, in its latest report on Tourism Economics in Oman, stated that the number of Indian tourists is expected to grow from 232,000 in 2012 to 384,000 in 2017, representing an annual growth of 10.6 per cent.
With low cost carriers such as FlyDubai and Air Arabia increasing accessibility to Oman, there has been an increase in flow of tourists from within GCC. ‘Oman Air launched direct services to numerous European cities in 2012, and arrivals from Europe are expected to increase by 4.3 per cent between 2013 and 2017, during which total visitation is expected to increase by 18 per cent,' the report stated.
By the end of July 2013, Salalah International Airport witnessed annual international tourist arrivals of 14 per cent and a domestic growth of 7.8 per cent.
Euromonitor forecasts passenger movement in Salalah to reach 1mn by 2014. International passenger arrivals at Muscat International Airport increased by 8.1 per cent by July 2013 while domestic growth remained constant compared to the same period last year.
Oman's travel and tourism GDP is forecast to increase at an annual rate of six to eight per cent from 2013 to 2017.
Muscat is the strongest performing hotel market in Oman, with occupancy rates exceeding 60 per cent in H1 2013, closely followed by Musandam and Dhofar. Corporate and Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism represent the primary sources of demand for the majority of hotels in Muscat, with the exception of 5-star beach resorts which tend to cater to leisure tourists.
The direct contribution from the travel and tourism sector (monetary input from hotels, travel agents, airlines, restaurants, tourist leisure industries and transportation services) to Oman's GDP in 2012 was 3.1 per cent.
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts an annual growth of six to eight per cent until 2017.
WTTC indicated that capital investments in travel and tourism amounted to RO364mn in 2012. Investments are expected to grow annually by 8.6 per cent on an average until 2017.
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