By Ali Ahmed al Riyami -
SHANGHAI — As part of the ongoing Tourism Week being held in conjunction with Shanghai Expo-2010 here in China, Mohammed bin Hamood al Tobi, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Tourism, outlined Oman’s strategy in tapping into the newly emerging Chinese tourism market which is seen as having huge potential for the Sultanate.
Al Tobi, Sultanate’s Ambassador to China Abdullah bin Saleh al Saadi, Director-General of Tourism Promotion, Ministry of Tourism, Salim bin Adey al Maamari and Haitham al Ghasani, Director of the Oman Pavilion at the expo, addressed members of the Chinese media about Oman’s new ambitious plans for attracting more Chinese tourists.
In response to the questions posed by press personnel about Oman’s tourism strategy for China; in regard to the types of visitors targeted; bringing awareness about Oman; Oman-specific agenda for tourism promotion; appeal of Oman in relation to other regional countries; availability of direct flights/flight connections to the Sultanate; Oman’s capacity for tourists/visitors intake and the priority given to the Chinese tourist market; the under-secretary replied: “For Oman, China is an emerging market. In 2008, 14,000 visitors came to Oman, but this has since seen a yearly growth of 30 per cent. The bulk of these visitors come as tourists, although there has been an increase in business travellers.
“Further, there has been a significant rise in the number of business travellers, thanks to greater Chinese investment and involvement in a number of Oman-based projects, with a number of Chinese companies currently conducting various business related activities in the Sultanate.” With regard to promoting awareness about Oman as a viable destination for Chinese visitors, Al Tobi noted that China is seen as a promising market with very high potential.
He said they are targeting specific groups who would appreciate Oman’s diverse environment, culture and heritage. In this regard, he added that they have been working closely with the Chinese Embassy in Oman and have established a good level of relations and co-operation.
Further he said a Chinese company is to be assigned by the Ministry of Tourism to act on their behalf in China, adding that the company will cover the entire length and breadth of China to help promote Oman to targeted Chinese visitors.
The memorandum of understanding signed between Oman and China in 2006 allows for specific agencies to effectualise tourism promotion in Oman, added Al Tobi.
In addition to this he said the Sultanate’s national carrier Oman Air is contemplating direct flights to three major cities in China – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – and once the viability study is completed, this may come about either this year or early next year.
Meanwhile, he pointed out that Oman Air’s partner code-share airlines – Qatar Airways (1 hour 10 minute flight from Doha to Muscat), Etihad and Emirates (50 minutes and 45 minutes flight from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively) have short transit times and offer very good connections to China.
Commenting on how Oman competes for visitors with other countries in the region, the under-secretary noted that being a member of the Gulf Co-operative Council (GCC), Oman does not compete, but rather complements its fellow GCC member states.
He added that each Gulf state has something different to offer and in this respect Oman offers a distinctive geographical, environmentally friendly diversity.
Among the country’s numerous attractions, scenic beauty and amazing landscapes, it has 14 Unesco listed World Heritage sites, 3,000 km of pristine beaches and 1,700 km of coastline.
The annual monsoon season (Khareef) in Oman’s southern most Dhofar region brings with it luscious green pasture land and covers the entire mountainous area with a carpet of green that resembles a savannah, he added.
With regard to Oman’s tourism capacity, he said that it is expanding according to demand with four or five new resorts and hotels scheduled for this year and another three or four for the coming year. Foreign investments are also being sought for these and upcoming projects, he added.
Al Maamari gave his comments on the marketing strategy for attracting tourists from China. He said Oman’s participation at the expo helped establish good contacts and that a number of Chinese companies are being considered to help promote tourism to Oman.
He added that at present priority is to attract business travellers and high-end leisure tourists.
Further to this, familirisation tours of Oman for Chinese media personnel and tour operators are set to commence in the near future, he said.