Oman targets Russia as a tourist source market

The ministry is targeting the Russian market in the next phase of its promotional campaigns, helping to increase the number of visitors from around 20,000 in 2018. With an objective to promote Oman as a tourism destination in Russia, the ministry participated in the opening ceremony of the Moscow International Travel and Tourism (MITT) exhibition on Tuesday.

Speaking to the Russian media, Salim al Ma’amari, Director General of Promotions, Ministry of Tourism, said that according to a study about 3mn Russian tourists visit different countries every year. “Oman received around 20,000 Russian tourists in 2018 and there is an effort to increase the number,” he added.

The Ministry of tourism has worked in coordination with the concerned authorities as well as the sultanate’s embassy in Moscow, the ROP, Oman Airports, Oman Air and a number of other organisations of the tourism sector of the country, to attract tourists from Russia. It has started direct flights of the national carrier Oman Air between Muscat and Moscow, made availability of visa easy and organised a number of promotional joint workshops for Omani and Russian tourism companies. The ministry opened a foreign tourism representative office in Moscow at the end of last year.

Ma’amari headed the delegation of the ministry at the official inauguration of the 26th MITT exhibition. He delivered speech in the ceremony which was attended by 400 decision makers, experts, representatives of major companies of travel and tourism sector.

In his speech, Ma’amari focussed on the areas of tourism attraction in the sultanate, its elements, products, diverse natural and environmental features of the country. He said that in Oman tourists have real-time experience of original Arab culture, civilisation and its society. He also talked about the facilities, services and offers presented to Russian tourists.

The Omani delegation of tourism promotion held a press conference, bringing together representatives of more than 45 Russian media organisations, as well as representatives of Russian travel and tourism companies, to introduce the efforts and steps taken to enter the Russian tourist market.

The press conference also focussed on prominent offers and products provided by Omani tourism companies to Russians. The delegation also responded to the relevant questions of media.

On the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the MITT exhibition, the Omani tourism promotion delegation also met the representatives of 15 Russian travel and tourism companies.