Oman Celebrates 13% Increase In Tourism Visitors Early This Year
Oman's tourism sector has seen a notable 13% rise in visitor numbers from January to April this year compared to the same period in 2023, as reported by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT). This increase highlights the sector's significant growth.
The ministry revealed that over 1.5 million visitors arrived in Oman during the first four months of 2024. This robust start indicates a positive trend for the country's tourism industry.
Growth in Hospitality Sector
The hospitality sector has also experienced substantial growth. The number of guests staying in 3- to 5-star hotels increased by 14.9%, reaching 768,000 this year. This surge reflects both the rising number of visitors and the expanding infrastructure catering to Oman's tourism influx.
Several tourist destinations have reported significant increases in visitors. Jabal Akhdar saw a remarkable growth of 25.8% in April 2024 compared to April 2023, while the Daymaniyat Islands Reserve experienced an impressive increase of 73.2%.
Initiatives Driving Growth
The ministry attributes this growth to ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing the tourism sector. Efforts include upgrading tourist facilities, improving access to key sites, and robust international marketing campaigns.
A report by BMI, a Fitch Solutions Company, forecasts that arrivals in Oman will grow by 24.7% year-on-year in 2024, reaching a total of 5.3 million visitors. This projection builds on the historic peak of 4 million visitors recorded in 2023.
Future Projections
BMI stated that arrivals will continue to expand over their medium-term forecast period (2024-2028), projecting a total of 10.8 million visitors by 2028. This growth trajectory aligns with Oman's ambitious tourism goals.
In line with Oman Vision 2040, MHT unveiled an ambitious plan in 2023 to increase tourist numbers to 11 million by 2040. To achieve this, targeted strategies are being implemented to boost tourism activities within the sultanate.
Economic Impact
The aim is to augment the tourism sector's contribution to GDP from a modest 2.4% in 2021 to an ambitious 5% by 2030, ultimately aiming for 10% by 2040. 'Our forecasted arrivals growth trajectory for Oman indicates that the market will achieve this target (of 11mn),' stated BMI.
'We forecast Oman's arrivals growth to be robust over the medium term, growing by an annual average of 20.4% y-o-y between 2024-2028, to reach 10.8mn arrivals in 2028.'
Key Source Markets
Increased arrivals over the medium term will be driven by key source markets across the GCC, as well as Asia-Pacific and European markets.
Oman secured the 67th position among 119 countries in the Travel and Tourism Development Index for 2024, compiled by World Economic Forum. The Sultanate scored well in areas like tourism demand sustainability and safety and security, ranking at positions twelve and sixteen respectively.
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