Middle East our clients to Oman will travel on our group
tour, with the rest opting for tailor-made travel.” Among the luxury openings that have already taken place, Oman is now home to the Six Senses Spa at Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton hotel in Muscat. The huge three-level spa has 17 treatment rooms and at its opening in October, president of Six Senses Bernhard Bohnenberger said it “takes the spa experience in the Middle East to a whole new level”. Luxury hotel groups currently expanding in
Oman include Anantara, which will open two hotels in the sultanate next year. The Anantara Jabal Al Akhdar Resort will open in early 2016 on Oman’s “green mountain”, with the hotel 3,000 metres above sea level on the rim of a canyon. It’s believed the location will make it “the highest five-star resort in the Middle East” and the second highest in the world. Next up will be the Anantara Salalah Resort,
opening by August between a beach and natural lagoon on the south coast of Dhofar. The resort is close to Salalah International airport, which began operations in June and has been designed to process two million passengers annually. The Dhofar region has been getting more
attention for itself recently – long known as the place where GCC nationals flock in the height of summer to appreciate the regional monsoon, or kharif, the appeal is growing on account of the miles of unspoilt beaches in the area. The kharif may flood the area from June to September, leaving it in a carpet of greenery, but the coastline has wider international appeal outside that season too. Omani resort developer Muriya is working
on its third hotel at its Salalah Beach resort complex, the four-star Alfanar Hotel and Residences with 220 rooms, and that follows on from the 400-room Rotana Salalah resort hotel, which opened in 2014.
Knock-on effects The picture for travel is far less rosy for Jordan which neighbours war-torn Syria. Cox & Kings’ Michael Fleetwood admits
that Jordan is a “challenging” destination and enquiry levels have declined, although the operator is “working to get people back to the area”. Jordan Tourist Board has tried to stimulate demand by axing its visa fee and promoting its success as a location for major Hollywood movies – most recently The Martian, starring Matt Damon. “We believe the country has a whole lot
to offer, so we still have quite a range of product to Jordan, like our cultural group tour and the Royal Academy art tour as well,” says Fleetwood. “The tourist board has a promotional campaign running, which we hope will build awareness and get more people heading back.” One major positive development in the region this year has been the ending of sanctions against Iran by the US and European Union following a deal over the country’s nuclear programme.
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