Vaccination drive is picking up in the Sultanate, so is arrivals in Salalah. The hoteliers in Salalah have confirmed that the weekend that passed brought them many guests, mainly from north of Oman that is reeling under the scorching heat.
Vaccination may be one factor for the people to decide for a Salalah trip. Having both the doses gives the receivers confidence to take a chance, but the main reason seems to be the closure of schools.
Both parents and children have a craving for going somewhere. That somewhere is no better than Salalah in the current circumstances. It depends only if the situation permits and the authorities have confidence that any decision to keep Salalah open would not adversely affect the pandemic's epidemiological situation.
“Among the visitors last weekend were mostly from Oman. Some UAE number-plated vehicles were spotted, but they mostly were business purpose visitors, as leisure visitors from GCC have not yet started venturing out for Salalah,” said Khalid, reception manager in of the hotels in Salalah.
Apparently, the sudden rise in the number of cars on Salalah roads gives everyone an impression that the tourists have started arriving.
The good thing about the outside visitors is that they are taking all possible care for pandemic protocols.
They in fact, are calling upon the people in Salalah to go fully for the National Immunisation Programme against Covid-19 so that the destination gives the tourists comfort of safety and authorities get some level of confidence about the control of the virus spread, which is in a very crucial stage now.
Of course, no one will ignore mass health for the sake of some days of tourism. “So everyone is keeping his fingers crossed and waiting for a wise decision from the authorities,” said Ahmed, staff in a Taqah-based hotel.
“Another factor behind the last week’s rush, maybe the people’s apprehension about the opening of tourism in coming days due to increasing number of Covid-19 cases and admissions in hospital ICUs,” said a tourism facility operator who has not yet sure about the opening of his venture this season.
He agreed with people’s desire to go out for a vacation to beat the monotony, more than the heat, but gave a word of caution, “Safety first. Venture out only when you are safe.”
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