TIMELESS JEWEL W
Oman
Oman’s tourism development has followed the ‘low- impact’ blueprint mapped out almost four decades ago, although its superb beaches, coral reef, ancient forts and dramatic mountain backdrops remain the same, discovered Mary Moore-Mason
hen I first visited Oman some 35 years ago as a guest of the then new
young Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, the Arabian Peninsula was still virgin territory for tourists. Muscat, Oman's capital, seemed little
more than a sprawling village, and there were few paved roads, a high rate of illiteracy, only three schools, one or two hotels up to international standards and few obvious tourist attractions besides the country's 1,700km of stunning beach- bordered coastline, dramatic canyons and huge desert areas. However, the Sultan told me Oman planned to promote tourism – not to attract large numbers of 'bucket and spade' tourists but 'responsible' ones who would appreciate the country's rich, 5,000-year-old culture, historic sites, scenic beauty and wealth of wildlife. On a recent return visit – soon after
the Sandhurst-educated Sultan celebrated his 40th year at the helm of a country about the size of Germany – I found Oman transformed. Dramatically set between rugged
34 July/August 2011 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
mountains and the sparkling, azure Arabian Sea, Muscat is now a thriving city of more than a million inhabitants. Key destinations are linked by modern motorways; there's a literacy rate of 93 per cent – with more than 1,400 schools educating boys and girls side by side (often in both Arabic and English) – and a wealth of both stunning resort hotels and varied tourist attractions. Following the Sultan's original blueprint,
there has been no effort to attract mass, downmarket tourism or, like neighbouring Dubai, to build stunning, skyscraper hotels, glitzy shopping malls and other attractions that don't reflect the local heritage and culture. Instead, according to its Ministry of
Tourism, Oman has focused on two types of tourists: ‘high-spending visitors looking for a combination of sun, sand and something different’, including second homes in new, mixed-use resort developments, and niche tourism areas such as adventure or ecotourism, including camping and trekking. As for skyscraper hotels and attractions, there is a height restriction
of 14 storeys and new buildings are expected to be in traditional, white Islamic style. The country, bordered to the west by
the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, must be doing something right – it now attracts around 2.5 million tourists a year. The largest number from outside the region are the 100,000-some from the UK where the destination is featured by more than 140 tour operators plus an increasing number of cruise companies. More and more it is being positioned as a friendlier, less commercialised alternative to Dubai. The turbulence this year that has blighted other parts of the Arab world has largely been avoided in Oman – bar a few minor clashes earlier this year. International tourism is expected to steadily increase, encouraged by the opening and expansion of a large number of resort, airport, conference and tourist attractions.
What’s New Hotel rooms are expected to increase from around 8,000 to 15,000 by 2015,
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