13 October 2005
Muscat - Last month's visit of a record number of 120 German travel professionals, coming for the 'Oman familiarisation trip', has yielded positive feedback.
As noted by Harsh Abrol of Zahara Tours, the success of the recent visit could see visitor numbers, from Germany alone, increase by up to 20 per cent in the coming year.
This expected positive increase of European visitors to the Sultanate is primarily due to Oman playing host to top travel agents on a 'Destination Special' familiarisation, organised by DERTOUR -- Germany's largest tour company for intercontinental travel, in collaboration with one of the country's leading destination management companies, Zahara Tours.
As DERTOURS local agents, Zahara Tours has been instrumental in handling all ground arrangements for, what they noted to be, their most discerning audience ever.
Similar to other countries that have been previously elected 'Destination Special' (namely global tourism heavyweights Canada, Dubai, Thailand and New Zealand), Oman stands to gain an upsurge in tourist traffic for the coming tourist travel seasons.
With regard to the travel agent's impression of Oman, Petra Fraatz, Director of Middle East Travel, DERTOUR, said that the agents were uniformly impressed with Oman.
"Oman has so much to offer, it dismisses all preconceptions that our agents have about the Middle East. The culture, the spectacular environment, the friendly people -- this is what everyone hears about Oman, but to experience it is really to believe it," added Petra.
The director praised the great value of familiarisation trips such as the one taken by the German travel professionals here. She noted that there is no substitute for firsthand experience.
In practice, she added, "we find that when our agents have actually visited a place then their clients respond by choosing to follow them. It has worked for us time and time again and we anticipate that this Oman trip will be equally successful, in terms of bookings, in seasons to come." Whether a trip is successful or not is due ultimately to the professionalism of those on the ground.
The director said, "And I have to say that our partners in Oman, Zahara Tours, rose to the occasion magnificently. The entire 10 days went off without a hitch, giving our VIP visitors a real taste of what it would be like to come to Oman and have their experience managed by a totally professional team at Zahara's."
Andreas Neumann, Vice-President of Intercontinental Travel, DERTOUR, said he is very enthusiastic about the new Shangri-La development. He added, the new family hotel, in particular, would fill a much needed gap in the current accommodation offering in Oman which would be well received in Germany. Neumann also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism.
Muscat - Last month's visit of a record number of 120 German travel professionals, coming for the 'Oman familiarisation trip', has yielded positive feedback.
As noted by Harsh Abrol of Zahara Tours, the success of the recent visit could see visitor numbers, from Germany alone, increase by up to 20 per cent in the coming year.
This expected positive increase of European visitors to the Sultanate is primarily due to Oman playing host to top travel agents on a 'Destination Special' familiarisation, organised by DERTOUR -- Germany's largest tour company for intercontinental travel, in collaboration with one of the country's leading destination management companies, Zahara Tours.
As DERTOURS local agents, Zahara Tours has been instrumental in handling all ground arrangements for, what they noted to be, their most discerning audience ever.
Similar to other countries that have been previously elected 'Destination Special' (namely global tourism heavyweights Canada, Dubai, Thailand and New Zealand), Oman stands to gain an upsurge in tourist traffic for the coming tourist travel seasons.
With regard to the travel agent's impression of Oman, Petra Fraatz, Director of Middle East Travel, DERTOUR, said that the agents were uniformly impressed with Oman.
"Oman has so much to offer, it dismisses all preconceptions that our agents have about the Middle East. The culture, the spectacular environment, the friendly people -- this is what everyone hears about Oman, but to experience it is really to believe it," added Petra.
The director praised the great value of familiarisation trips such as the one taken by the German travel professionals here. She noted that there is no substitute for firsthand experience.
In practice, she added, "we find that when our agents have actually visited a place then their clients respond by choosing to follow them. It has worked for us time and time again and we anticipate that this Oman trip will be equally successful, in terms of bookings, in seasons to come." Whether a trip is successful or not is due ultimately to the professionalism of those on the ground.
The director said, "And I have to say that our partners in Oman, Zahara Tours, rose to the occasion magnificently. The entire 10 days went off without a hitch, giving our VIP visitors a real taste of what it would be like to come to Oman and have their experience managed by a totally professional team at Zahara's."
Andreas Neumann, Vice-President of Intercontinental Travel, DERTOUR, said he is very enthusiastic about the new Shangri-La development. He added, the new family hotel, in particular, would fill a much needed gap in the current accommodation offering in Oman which would be well received in Germany. Neumann also praised the efforts of the Ministry of Tourism.
By Ali Ahmed al Riyami
© Oman Daily Observer 2005
