Travel & Tourism firm owner gets prison, fine
Published: 08:04 AM,Apr 05,2026 | EDITED : 01:04 PM,Apr 05,2026
The Muscat Governorate Primary Court convicted a commercial travel and tourism establishment, following cases filed against it by a number of consumers.
The court sentenced the owner of the establishment to six months in prison and ordered the establishment to pay consumers refunds and fines amounting to RO20,965.5.
The case is that some groups of consumers made agreements with the company to implement travel programs that included bookings at 4- and 5-star hotels, sightseeing tours, airport transfers, and free excursions, in exchange for payment. The court sentenced the owner of the establishment to six months in prison and ordered the establishment to pay consumers refunds and fines amounting to RO20,965.5.
The cases revealed that some consumers paid the full amount or in monthly installments, only to discover, upon attempting to utilize the services, that the company had closed its doors in October 2024 and ceased operations.
Some consumers availed a part of the services before the company shut down, while others received no benefit at all, and some were forced to bear the costs of travel and accommodation themselves.
Among the reported cases were complaints involving additional payments after the initial agreement, or full payment of contract amounts without receiving any services, in addition to instances where the company closed after consumers had completed their installment payments.
This prompted the consumers to file their complaints with the Consumer Protection Authority, which concluded that the establishment violated Article 23 of the Consumer Protection Law issued by Royal Decree No. (66/2014), which obligates the provider to provide the service properly or refund its cost in case of breach. The cases were referred to the Public Prosecution, which initiated legal proceedings. After reviewing and investigating the cases, the Court of First Instance issued a ruling convicting the establishment and its owner of the misdemeanor of the provider's failure to provide the service properly, as stipulated in Article 23 of the Consumer Protection Law.
The sentences issued against them included a six-month prison term for the owner.
The court also ordered the defendants to refund the amounts paid by consumers, each according to their claim. The total amount refunded to consumers was RO16,565.5, and the total court fines amounted to RO4,400, bringing the total amount refunded to consumers, including fines, to RO20,965.5.