The festivals organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in some of the governorates of the Sultanate of Oman are aimed at bolstering domestic tourism. It will lead to enrichment of wilayats with avenues of various types of activities and events. It will help introduce ancient history and heritage of this country and its legacies are preserved. This will give opportunity to visitors and tourists to learn about the local customs and traditions.
The entertainment activities will be enjoyed by the younger generations. Such festivals are very important for the respective governorates as well as others. This shows the potential of tourism and adds value to it. In the near future, we will see the benefits of this approach as it will meet the aspirations of the common people.
There is no doubt that organising festivals in various governorates in itself is a qualitative step. This is to strengthen the governorates and give them an opportunity to match with the day to day trends. This will give these governorates more independence in their economic development. They will be able to progress further riding on the back of initiatives related to tourism development.
The heritage, culture and the diversity of each governorate has the potential to attract massive tourists from within the country and abroad. This will also help the coming generations to inherit their cultural legacies of which all those who lived along with them have felt pride. This is the right path to development without ignoring local culture and heritage.
The governorates are in their initial stage of cooperation with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in this area. This is the phase of laying foundation of any similar future plans. It will train new generations of the country on preserving local culture, arts, heritage and traditions and promote them everywhere. This is a purposeful work as envisaged by the ministry and will pave the way for investments in the governorates in tourism and ultimately lead to achievement of the objectives of the Oman Vision 2040.
The festivals organised in the governorates are showcasing local traditions, cultures, heritage and values. It gives exposure to life in deserts, villages, on and around mountains. This is a unique tourism experience for locals, residents and those who come from abroad looking forward for such festivals. Recently Desert Adventure Festival was held in the Wilayat of Bidiyah, North Al Sharqiyah Governorate. There were some sporting events such as car racing and sand skiing as part of the festival. Such activities also have a large following.
The Sur Maritime Festival will highlight the maritime heritage of Oman and will showcase the traditions in the area and pass it on to the next generation. Soon it will be enjoyed by the people who live in the area and many from other governorates are also expected to visit the venue and enjoy it.
This festival will not only be an event which has little value except for the amusement of the people involved in it. Instead, it is highly educational for those who want to learn about them and show interest in preserving such heritage. Al Dakhiliyah Governorate would soon unveil the details of the festival. People are anxiously waiting for the details so that they can plan their visit as per their convenience. For them it will be an opportunity for amusement as well as business. The small and medium enterprises will benefit from this activity. They can engage in activities related to providing goods and services to those who would rush to the area to be present in the festival.
What can be better than experiencing traditions of the governorates, in the place where they grew and became a matter of pride for the local people. This is why such festivals are organised. They are cultural activities with a lot of business and commercial opportunities.
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