New initiatives to boost the hotel apartments market in Oman

In this regard, Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN ) announced the acquisition of a stake in the UK-based UnderTheDoormat Group, a short-term rental and property technology company for investment, valued at RO1.81  million or $ 4.7 million.
Speaking to the Observer,  Shabib bin Mohammed al Maamari, Managing Director, Visit Oman, said, 'This investment will help the short-stay rental market in the Sultanate of Oman. 
Through their technology, UnderTheDoormat will take the property, a house and apartment, or even farmhouses and distribute it over 50 other platforms, including Airbnb, booking.com, expedia.com, among others.'   
He added, 'More importantly, if you have more than one property, it will digitally distribute them and manage the inventory on your behalf. So you don't have to fear double bookings. It has a payment gateway. It's a very seamless user experience for both customers and owners.'

He said, 'One of the problems that you have in the sector is that if we have one apartment, you put it on Instagram, you put it on Airbnb, and on many other platforms. There are chances of being double-booked for the same property on different platforms. 
UnderTheDoormat addresses these by managing inventory, calculating tax. It can tie up with other authorities and push information required, like a copy of the passport or the ID, just for verification purposes, which will also aid agenceis such as the Heritage and Tourism with data on the demographics that can help in their marketing campaign, he said.

Visit Oman recently signed partnerships with Omani travel technology companies 'My Ticket' platform for managing ticket bookings and tourist experiences, the 'Yalla Pass' for event tickets, the 'My Events' platform for events, the 'Valu' app for hotel and chalet reservations and the Masarra app for rest houses, chalets, and apartments, and the Joula' platform for tourist guides. 

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism signs a contract with a national travel operator to develop and implement an integrated digital platform that enables Omani tourist guides to offer and showcase their experiences directly to visitors.