MUSCAT: The Ministry of Tourism has launched a large-scale promotional campaign for the Khareef season in Dhofar Governorate inside the Sultanate and abroad.
This is part of the ministry’s efforts to promote the tourist season in the governorate and attract more tourists to the season, which began on June 21.
The season will continue until September 21.
Salem bin Oday al Ma’amari, Director-General of Promotions at the ministry, said the ministry has been promoting the Khareef season in Dhofar Governorate in particular, and the Sultanate in general, throughout the year through its foreign offices, especially in the GCC countries.
It is participating in international tourism conferences, exhibitions and marketing events.
He said these campaigns and participations have contributed an increase in the number of tourists every year along with the development of the sector.
Al Ma’amari said the Khareef season in Dhofar Governorate is one of the top priorities in the ministry’s promotional schemes in the GCC countries.
It is meant to attract a larger share of Gulf tourists in summer.
A number of tools have been used to introduce tourists to the Sultanate’s culture and history as well as the diversity of the climate even during summer, said the Director-General of Promotions.
He said the promotional campaigns, carried out mainly in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain, were varied.
For this purpose, direct marketing methods through tour operators were used.
The ministry held several rounds of direct and indirect meetings with tourism companies in the GCC countries.
These meetings were aimed at promoting the Sultanate in general and the Khareef season in Dhofar in particular.
The ministry also launched promotional campaigns in the cinema halls of the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait as one of the most effective marketing options.
It also launched a marketing drive on the social media platforms.
He said the ministry was working on an advertisement arrangement with a transport company to promote Dhofar Governorate and other tourist sites through some of its buses.
This advertisement campaign will begin in the coming weeks.
The Director-General of the Promotion said there were many voluntary promotional initiatives launched by the Omani youth on the social networking sites and other such forums.
They have launched promotional hashtags for the Khareef season in Dhofar.
They are taking photos of the places of attractions to introduce natural tourist elements in the governorate.
These youth realise that they can play a role in introducing the Sultanate’s tourist destinations.
Al Ma’amari said the ministry focuses on the promotion of the Khareef season in all exhibitions in GCC countries to target tourists of the region.
It has participated in travel and tourism exhibitions of Dubai in UAE and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Tourism participated in the Arabian Travel Mart — Al Multaqa 2018 held between April 22 and 25.
The Director-General of Promotions said the ministry was preparing to launch promotional campaigns through television channels and radios in neighbouring countries, beginning from July to broadcast promotional content about the Khareef season.
He said the ministry’s tourism office in Dubai will launch marketing campaigns for the Khareef season in the UAE.
Similarly, there will be promotional campaigns in both English and Arabic languages in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar next month.
Al Ma’amari said a joint marketing campaign was underway for three months to attract tourists to the Sultanate.
It is in cooperation with Holiday Factory Packages Tours, a German tourism company with 500,000 followers on social media.
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