Integrated tourism complexes key to development of tourism sector
Published: 04:07 PM,Jul 04,2023 | EDITED : 08:07 PM,Jul 04,2023
MUSCAT: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT), pays great attention to the integrated tourism complexes, as it provides a qualitative addition to the tourism sector, including hotels, recreational and commercial facilities, and the real estate units, which contribute to diversify the tourism products and destinations, through raising the number of hotel rooms, the quality of services, and the recreational service facilities, as well as creating value added to society and providing direct and indirect jobs opportunities.
The MoHT has granted 19 valid licenses for integrated tourism complexes, including a number of projects across the governorates of Muscat, Dhofar, Al Sharqiyah South, Al Batinah South and Musandam. The total investment volume in the integrated tourism complexes projects is estimated at approximately RO 4.376 billion in the under implementation complexes and RO 3.120 billion in other licensed projects in the pre-implementation phase.
Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, said: “ The integrated tourism complexes are a modern style of tourism cities,that provide all services and facilities under one roof, where residents can live with no need to leave the boundaries of the complex, where the integration of residential, tourism, recreational, sports and commercial facilities contribute to provide the foundations of a new living experience, while these integrated complexes also provide the opportunity for non- Omanis to own property, that constitutes a mixture of different interactive cultures and gives an opportunity to attract capital and businessmen to reside in the Sultanate of Oman and provide a supportive base for the national efforts to attract investment”.
He clarified that, the integrated tourism complexes have added new dimensions to the tourism sector at the levels of modern and unique architecture in parallel with the quality of the integrated infrastructure.
He added, the integrated tourism also offer a wide options of tourism facilities and services, which are among the most important pillars of tourism development as these integrated complexes have become tourism destinations for tourists to enjoy their various facilities, while their hotel component provides the tourism market by hundreds of different hotel rooms with high levels of luxurious and variety of styles, which offer the tourist more options to enjoy as well as opening new tourism markets.
In addition to its direct economic contribution to the GDP, the integrated tourism complexes also contribute to provide many direct and indirect job opportunities, and enrich supply chains in the tourism sector, thus enhancing business opportunities and raising the volume of the in-country value.
Also, the allowing foreigners to own property in the Sultanate of Oman gives an opportunity to contribute to enhancing the local market while attracting investors into the tourism sector in the country, while the ownership of housing units and residence requires providing several necessary services.
As for the tourism product on which the integrated tourism complexes depend, Al Busaidy said that the success of any integrated tourism complex and its distinction requires care in providing tourism, commercial, entertainment, residential and sports components.
He added, the complex must be designed to provide a unique living experience that is in harmony with the topography of the place in which the project is located. Also, at every stage, modern real estate products must be unique and different from the previous products must be presented, where the developer must keep pace with the rapid developments and to be capable to to deal with all variants positively and flexibly so as not to miss the element of attraction that provides the investor with the touches he aspires to.
The MoHT has granted 19 valid licenses for integrated tourism complexes, including a number of projects across the governorates of Muscat, Dhofar, Al Sharqiyah South, Al Batinah South and Musandam. The total investment volume in the integrated tourism complexes projects is estimated at approximately RO 4.376 billion in the under implementation complexes and RO 3.120 billion in other licensed projects in the pre-implementation phase.
Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidy, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, said: “ The integrated tourism complexes are a modern style of tourism cities,that provide all services and facilities under one roof, where residents can live with no need to leave the boundaries of the complex, where the integration of residential, tourism, recreational, sports and commercial facilities contribute to provide the foundations of a new living experience, while these integrated complexes also provide the opportunity for non- Omanis to own property, that constitutes a mixture of different interactive cultures and gives an opportunity to attract capital and businessmen to reside in the Sultanate of Oman and provide a supportive base for the national efforts to attract investment”.
He clarified that, the integrated tourism complexes have added new dimensions to the tourism sector at the levels of modern and unique architecture in parallel with the quality of the integrated infrastructure.
He added, the integrated tourism also offer a wide options of tourism facilities and services, which are among the most important pillars of tourism development as these integrated complexes have become tourism destinations for tourists to enjoy their various facilities, while their hotel component provides the tourism market by hundreds of different hotel rooms with high levels of luxurious and variety of styles, which offer the tourist more options to enjoy as well as opening new tourism markets.
In addition to its direct economic contribution to the GDP, the integrated tourism complexes also contribute to provide many direct and indirect job opportunities, and enrich supply chains in the tourism sector, thus enhancing business opportunities and raising the volume of the in-country value.
Also, the allowing foreigners to own property in the Sultanate of Oman gives an opportunity to contribute to enhancing the local market while attracting investors into the tourism sector in the country, while the ownership of housing units and residence requires providing several necessary services.
As for the tourism product on which the integrated tourism complexes depend, Al Busaidy said that the success of any integrated tourism complex and its distinction requires care in providing tourism, commercial, entertainment, residential and sports components.
He added, the complex must be designed to provide a unique living experience that is in harmony with the topography of the place in which the project is located. Also, at every stage, modern real estate products must be unique and different from the previous products must be presented, where the developer must keep pace with the rapid developments and to be capable to to deal with all variants positively and flexibly so as not to miss the element of attraction that provides the investor with the touches he aspires to.