There are beautiful niche properties such as the Sahab Hotel at Jabal Akhdar and the Sifawy Boutique Hotel at Jebel Sifah, which opened in June 2011, and have high-quality five-star appeal. Regional projects such as these and the Millen- nium Hotel at Mussanah are at the heart of our tourism strategy to spread the benefits of tourism."
The Sifawy Hotel is the first of five hotels planned for Muriya's Jebel Sifah resort, a 45- minute drive east of Muscat. The hotel also offers a water link right to its door using Ocean Blue International's 75 foot catamaran, Azzura. The Sahab Hotel and The View are located in the Hajar Mountains, about two hours' drive from Muscat. They are becoming increasingly popular for short- breaks from Muscat as well as premier destinations in their own right. Muscat witnessed the biggest growth in hotel inventory from 2010-2011 with properties by Platinum and Rotana Hotels & Resorts opening for business, as well as City Seasons Hotel Muscat and Golden Tulip Inn at Al Khuwair near many ministry buildings.
Several mid-range and budget hotels will open in late 2011 including the Swiss-Belho- tel in Muscat's cultural and sports district. Transport improvements have also been witnessed in 2011 with Oman's National Ferry Company extending its Muscat- Khasab routes. The ferries used are the world's fastest diesel-powered craft and have a cruising speed of around 80kph. The new route serves more than 200 passengers and 56 cars. The company also commenced passenger services between Shinas and Khasab in May.
Responsible tourism is high on the agenda for Oman
and in 2010, the Sultanate hosted the fourth International Responsible Tourism in Destinations Conference
Back on dry land and Oman's Royal Opera House is also due for completion in late 2011, a stunning marble structure that is intended to become an iconic build- ing for Oman and a world-class venue for performing arts.
The centre will give Oman the clout to bid for regional and international events as never before, and lure more tourists to Oman through pre and post-event tours. The project is also a good example of a coordinated strategy of providing infrastructure that takes advantage of Oman Air's growing network of non-stop services to the western and eastern hemispheres.
SUSTAINABILITY
Responsible tourism is high on the agenda for Oman and in 2010, the Sultanate hosted the fourth International Respon- sible Tourism in Destinations Conference, welcoming industry leaders and delegates to what was the first event of its kind in the Middle East.
It was staged at the InterContinental Hotel, Muscat and organised by the Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Authority and the
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International Centre for Responsible Tour- ism from Leeds Metropolitan University. Governments, the private sector, aca- demic institutions and decision makers were brought together to share ideas, discuss new developments and directions on the principles and practices of respon- sible tourism in destinations. The confer- ence reasserted Oman's commitment to sustainable tourism development. But it's not just a government mentality many of Oman's destination management companies and hotels adhere to 'green' policies and provide visitor experiences that both protect the natural environment and give back to the Omani community. Eihab Travel & Tours says it has been successful in practicing "responsible tour- ism" because it is "passionate about people and communities".
The DMC not only does its best to reduce the impact of its activities on nature, the environment and the local people, but also offers visitors the chance to interact with these very elements. One unique experi- ence offered is a rooftop dinner prepared by local Omani women. NTT Tours Muscat says demand for ecotourism based activi- ties is definitely on the rise.
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