(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman has been projecting itself as an ideal place for meetings and conferences, and the under-construction Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre, once operational by 2016, will further strengthen the sultanate's place as a leading MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) player in the region.
The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre is expected to become an iconic landmark for Oman as this world-class facility has been planned for hosting international, regional and national conventions, exhibitions and business events.
Among its features are a tiered auditorium with a seating capacity for 3,200 people and more than 22,000sq m of exhibition space.
In a bid to affirm its presence among MICE industry leaders, the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) will be participating for the first time at The Meetings Show in London from July 8-10.
The ministry will be joined by Oman's newest five-star luxury hotel, Rotana Salalah Resort and national carrier Oman Air.
The Meetings Show, which will take place at Olympia, London, will be UK's largest international gathering of industry professionals.
Featuring more than 460 individual exhibitors ranging from destinations and venues to technology and meetings services, the event will have an audience-focused education programme, networking, and the UK's largest hosted buyer offering.
The Meetings Show this year is significantly bigger than last year ''but the increase in physical size is just half of the story'', said Steve Knight, event director.
''Our growth has led to a significant increase in the number of stand sharers meaning that more than 40 per cent of our 2014 exhibitors will be new, with many of them exhibiting in the UK for the first time in a decade.'
In addition to growth in domestic and international exhibitors and stand sharers, The Meetings Show will also see increase in the number of hosted buyers in attendance, trade visitors and the conference attendees.
On the other hand, Oman's tourism industry has been on an upswing this year with hotels and airport data showing a significant increase in the number of visitors.
Visitors staying at Oman's four and five-star hotels grew by 23.8 per cent in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period a year ago, showed figures released by the National Center for Statistics and Information.
Occupancy rates at four and five-star hotels reached 71.6 per cent in April from 66.9 per cent a year earlier. Hotels' revenue was up 10.5 per cent in April, with overall revenue reaching RO65.9mn, compared to RO59.7mn a year ago.
Meanwhile, passenger traffic through Muscat International Airport was up eight per cent to 3.6mn passengers in the first five months of the year, compared with 3.4mn a year earlier.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.