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Muscat – The cheap package holiday, bucket and spade culture and jetting off for two weeks of sun, sand and souvenirs is on the decline suggests Taleb Al Makhmari, Director General, Marketing & Media at Ithraa, Oman’s inward investment and export promotion agency, and organizer of the annual Inside Stories initiative.
Today, there is a new type of tourism, one that could be described as deep travel, it is about getting under the skin of a place. Tourists seeking out authenticity, real experiences rather than fake culture packages made for the masses.
“It is about the appreciation of local distinctiveness, the idiosyncrasies and the detail, the things that make a place unique and special,” remarked Al Makhmari.
“Tourism is going hyperlocal,” explains Ithraa’s Director General and the topic for the first session of Ithraa’s 2017 Inside Stories season to be held 7:30pm, Wednesday 26 April at the Public Authority for Civil Aviation in Al Hail North.
Supported by BP Oman, Inside Stories is a series of seven informal evening talks scheduled for 2017 that brings together Oman’s business community and public sector. Discussions focus on the opportunities and trends that are redefining what it means to be in, and start, a business today.
“Increasingly, today’s tourists are looking for more than just the tick-box attractions, passport stamps and Instagram photos. They’re after genuine experiences that are memorable,” says Al Makhmari.
The demand for hyperlocal tourism activities is on the rise. Whether it is climbing mountains, crossing deserts, sailing, relaxing on a beach or shopping, tourists want an authentic experience. In fact, there is a large number of travelers who are looking for offbeat locations to get the local, unique real-life experience, a market worth around US$140 billion globally.
"Given the fact that our tourism industry will expand significantly over the next decade, it clearly presents an array of opportunities for small Omani businesses, particularly niche firms that can tap into the growing hyperlocal trend," added Al Makhmari.
Research shows that when tourists are asked to describe their ideal holiday they use words like “authentic”, “discovery” as well as “relaxing”. “More and more often, they’re looking to experience distinctive, local culture, too,” pointed out Sajda Al Ghaithy, Ithraa’s Director of Media.
Al Ghaithy went on to say: “And it’s not just about attracting foreign tourists to Oman, our next happy customer could be closer to home. With a growing array of options available to local residents, from scuba diving, mountain biking, camping, sailing to exploring Oman’s forts and historic buildings the staycation trend is definitely getting stronger year-on-year. The growth in experiential travel is clearly being driven by a number of factors – not least, a consumer shift away from a desire for material possessions and towards an interest in actual experiences."
The Wednesday 26 April Inside Stories panel includes: Mazen Khoury, Investment Director, Tourism & Culture, Oman Investment Fund; and Eric Walters, Director, Hud Hud Travels.
Oman’s small businesses, particularly those working in the creative industries space, can certainly play a role in helping tourists realize their expectations, as well as supporting the local hotels they stay in and the airlines they travel on. “These are just some of the hyperlocal tourism business issues we’ll be discussing on the 26th,” concluded Al Makhmari.
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About Ithraa
Founded in 1996, Ithraa is a government-run, ISO and Investor in People certified inward investment and export promotion agency.
We provide a range of support services and information to help domestic and international investors set up in, and export from, Oman.
For press enquiries please contact:
Mr. Sami Al Asmi
Media Executive
Ithraa
PO Box 25
Wadi Kabir, 117
Sultanate of Oman
+968 24 62 33 84
Sami@ithraa.om
© Press Release 2017
