CASE STUDY / OMAN Riding the sporting wave, Shangri-La’s
Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa has recently announced that it will host the Interna- tional Sailing Federation annual confer- ence in November. The seven-day con- ference is expected to lure 300 attendees. Emperhoff says: “The tremendous
amount of media coverage we gather before and during the course of the events has a significant contribution in bringing in more MICE business.”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE It is a peak time for Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, with half its overall business in February coming from meetings, events, conferences and incentives. This is a huge achievement for the resort, which usually records an annual average of 30 percent of overall business to the sector. “As Oman is so accessible, it is a partic-
ularly attractive destination for meetings and incentives, although team building is popular too,” said Emperhoff. “Around half our corporate business
comes from the GCC, while the other half arrives from Europe. We have a clear strat- egy for increasing our MICE business in 2013, starting with Saudi Arabia – a market we are extremely keen to tap. “We face various challenges, however,
as Oman has not yet received approved visa status for visitors from Russia and China, both important source markets for us with huge potential. We hope that the application of visas from these emerging markets will become easier in future.” The resort has translated its website
into simplified Chinese, Japanese and Rus- sian, as well as Arabic, in order to help make information more accessible to visi- tors from these regions. Closer to home, it is looking to the GCC – Dubai and Abu
NEED TO KNOW
Set in 124 acres (it takes two hours to complete a full site inspection) Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa is home to three hotels. The largest, Al Waha, is a dedicated family hotel with 262 guest rooms.
Al Bandar, the resort's focal point, features seven food and beverage outlets and 11 meeting
rooms, as well as the Barr Al Jissah Ballroom measuring 1,056 square metres and provid- ing banquet-style seating for up to 700 people. The hotel has 198 sea-facing guest rooms.
Al Husn Hotel offers Shangri-La's high-
est level of service, amenities and privileges and boasts a 100-metre beach. It has 180 rooms. The three hotels share 21 restau- rants offering a mix of dining options.
Meeting facilities: The pillarless 1,008-square- metre Barr Al Jissah Ballroom can accom- modate up to 850 guests for confer-
ences or cocktail receptions. There are also seven additional meeting rooms.
Outdoor reception areas: Usually used for musical, theatre and cultural displays, the Al Midan Amphitheatre provides a dramatic
venue for corporate functions. It can seat 1,200 banquet-style with a stage and dance floor.
Top incentives: The coastline is ideal for water sports, as well as diving, deep-sea fishing and dolphin- and whale-watching trips, which are
available from the resort’s dive centre and marina. The on-site Omani Heritage Village provides a first-hand glimpse of a traditional, rural lifestyle.
Visitors can see local artisans at work, demonstrat- ing the techniques of traditional crafts, including khanjar making, silver making, weaving, basketry, henna tattoo decoration and pottery. There’s
also a souk and an art gallery within the resort. Location: The resort is around a 45-minute
drive (40km) from Muscat International Airport and just 20 minutes from downtown Muscat.
Tel: +968 2 4776666 Web:
www.shangri-la.com/muscat/
Dhabi, in particular – for more corporate bookings, but believes a lack of infra- structure makes it harder for Oman to attract big business. “The suppliers are limited here,”
says Emperhoff. “While it’s not ideal, we usually bring them in from Dubai as, currently, there is not enough demand for suppliers to set up here full time. Still, we are carving out a niche for ourselves as many cosmetics, pharmaceutical, automotive, insurance and food com- panies book events with us, typically bringing in up to 400 people for three or four days at a time.”
Above: Water sports Below: Al Husn infinity pool
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