Oman wins three tourism awards at WTM

LONDON: The Sultanate of Oman won three awards at the World Travel Market WTM, Wanderlust 2025, currently taking place in London, in the categories of adventure tourism, heritage and cultural tourism and sustainable tourism. This achievement underscores the Sultanate of Oman’s position as a leading destination offering diverse and authentic experiences.
During the Sultanate of Oman’s participation in the event, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, through its promotional platform Discover Oman, signed a new strategic partnership with Discover Qatar. This partnership aims to enhance regional tourism cooperation and promote multi-destination travel between Oman and Qatar.
Under the new strategic partnership, the two platforms will collaborate on developing integrated tourism packages and joint promotional initiatives designed to draw visitors from key international markets, particularly Asia and Europe, to explore both destinations in a single trip. Italy, Spain, and China will serve as pilot markets for the joint cooperation initiative, leveraging the joint representative office in Italy to launch joint promotional events and activities.
The partnership will also include organising joint promotional tours, unified participation in major international tourism events and exhibitions, and collaboration with leading tourism and travel companies to develop and promote joint packages for destinations that combine the unique cultural and heritage experiences of both the Sultanate of Oman and the State of Qatar.
In addition, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, announced a project to publish a book about the Sultanate of Oman, highlighting its cultural and tourism significance. The book will be part of a global series of publications focusing on leading luxury destinations worldwide, in collaboration with the international publishing house Assouline, which specialises in luxury books. This initiative aligns with the tourism marketing strategy which targets people interested in luxury tourism.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism also launched the book Oman: Jewel of Arabia, in collaboration with the British-Omani Society and the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman in London. This book documents a 30-day expedition undertaken by a group of young Omanis and British travellers along the coast of the Sultanate of Oman, from Ras Al Hadd in Al Sharqiyah South Governorate to Salalah in Dhofar Governorate, crossing Al Sharqiyah North and Al Wusta governorates. They used traditional means of transport such as camels and walking, as well as modern vehicles like four-wheel drive cars. It began earlier this year. This journey is a re-enactment of the route taken by the renowned British explorer Bertram Thomas in 1928.
The Sultanate of Oman is also expected to host the 2026 Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) conference, coinciding with the association’s 50th anniversary. This conference is one of the most prominent annual events in the travel and tourism sector and aligns with the ministry’s plan to promote the Sultanate of Oman’s tourism in the British market next year.
The conference aims to discuss the latest trends in the tourism sector, exchange expertise, and develop future strategies for promoting tourist destinations worldwide. About 150 participants, including tour operators, travel agents, and destination experts are expected to attend the conference. — ONA