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Reema Lokesh – Muscat
The Indian outbound business has always been a promising source market for international tourism boards across continents. There has been a major shift in preference toward the Indian market even from countries that did not have India in their top 10 list till recent times. Oman is one destination that has realised the potential of India during the last decade and finally set foot in India in 2010 to promote Oman as a premium leisure and MICE spot in the Middle East.
Since its inception, the ministry of tourism, Sultanate of Oman’s focus has been to cater to the niche, experiential and high-quality seeking travellers in India and promote itself as a leisure, adventure, MICE and wedding destination. To achieve this objective, the ministry with the support of its India office led by Lubaina Sheerazi, India representative, MoT, Oman, conducted its first mega FAM to the region recently, with 60 Indian travel agents on board from Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Pune and Hyderabad. The hosted group travelled to Muscat, Nizwa, Sharqiyah Sands, Sur and Ras Al Jinz to discover the culture, landscape, monuments and cuisine of Oman. The aim was to offer the trade partners a comprehensive view of the destination in both the MICE and the leisure space. The group was handled by six DMCs from Oman – Oman World Tourism, Zahara Tours, Tour Oman, Elite Travel & Tours, Gulf Ventures and Bahwan Travels.
The travel agents did site inspections at various properties including Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Hormuz Grand Hotel, Al Falaj Hotel, Al Bustan Palace – A Ritz Carlton Hotel, Al Nahda Resort, Ramee Guestline, Wadi Shab Resort, Sur Plaza Hotel, Sahab Hotel, The Jungle Restaurant, On the Rocks lounge and also went dolphin watching with Sidab Tours. The agents also attended B2B sessions and got an opportunity to network with a wide selection of travel and tourism representatives in Oman – hotels, attractions and DMCs. Speaking at the B2B session, HE Maitha Al Mahrouqi, under secretary, MoT, Oman who met the travel agents said, that she was very keen to receive Indian tourists and provide the Indian trade the support they need. “We have a very special product in this region and are confident we will meet the expectations of the discerning Indian traveller. Tourism from India has witnessed a steady rise and we can only improve the numbers with time,” she said.
Launched in 2011, the Discover Oman specialist training programme has offered agents online and offline trainings in the past and continues to be active through product trainings and webinars. The success and feedback received over the years encouraged the MoT to extend the training programme to Oman.
According to Sunila Patil, director, VeenaWorld, “We have recently conducted a tour to the region with around 165 people on board. This destination has a lot to offer for the well travelled who are looking for an exclusive experience in this part of the world, as Oman has its unique, culture, history, nature and experiences to offer.” Sheerazi mentioned that the aim was clearly to provide trade partners with a brief understanding of what the destination has to offer in all its facets. “We are glad we could take our first step toward building knowledge on the destination and we will continue to conduct training programmes in the future as well,” she said.
