Salalah Tourism Festival
MUSCAT -- Tour operators have launched exciting packages for the Salalah Tourism Festival following a tremendous response to the last year's edition of the festival. National Travel and Tourism (NTT) has launched a number of summer offers in addition to regular packages. Rates start at RO 161 per person for a 2 nights/3 days stay in a double room at the Crowne Plaza and includes breakfast, transfers and full day sightseeing.
Similarly, Mark Tours has launched a few packages for the festival such as: Half Day City Tour, Best of Salalah East Tour, Frankinsense Trial -- Salalah West, Full Day Empty Quarter Tour and Car Rental.
Many tour and travel firms are also offering tailour-made packages for the festival.
One of the reasons for varied and exciting packages is that tour operators are upbeat about a record-breaking visitor turonout this year. NTT says "the visitor turnout during last year's Salalah festival was around 156,000 and this year it is expected to surpass that number". Other tour operators echo similar optimistic sentiments.
Some of the major festival highlights, says Ashok Menon of Mark Tours, include International Travel, Property and Investment Show (July 19-25) and Cultural Shows. Other highlighes include shopping fair, IT, Telecom and Technology Show, Origin Oman Show and a Book and Educational Fair, adds NTT.
As to what appeals strongly to the tourists in this region, NTT executives say "the greenery and the rains bring about coolness in the air and this attracts a large number of local and Gulf tourists to this region. It gives them a welcome break from the heat and humidity that they experience back home in their respective regions".
Menon chipped in with a similar point, "this is the time of the year when visitors can experience the cooler, cloudy, summer climate with refreshing rains and a lush green countryside. Due to the exceptional natural phenomena, Dhofar is considered as one of the most arresting areas for tourists particularly in autumn, where the temperature ranges between 15 to 22 degrees Celsius".
Tourists heading for the festival mainly comprise of GCC nationals trying to escape the scorching heat during the summer. The city of Salalah is packed with visitors who come to experience a wide range of activities centered on the whole family. Traditionally popular with GCC nationals, the Khareef season now also attracts resident expatriates who are looking to explore a distinctly different part of the Arabian peninsula. A number of cultural shows every day at the Municipality Fair Grounds during the festival strongly appeal to tourists.
Tourists from UK, Germany, Austria, Italy and other parts of Europe also fly down to Salalah to experience the culture and history of the Dhofar region. Among their main interests are the Al Balid Museum and nearby archaeological ruins, Mughaysil Beach, Mirbat castle and Old Merchant Houses, Prophet Job's (Ayaub)Tomb, Ruins of Al Balid, Suhur cave, Ayn Hamran cave, Wadi Darbat caves, Tawi Atayr sinkhole, Mughsayl Blowholes and, of course, the Frankincense Trees.
By Staff Reporter
© Oman Daily Observer 2008
