SALALAH: White sandy beaches overlooking the azure waters of the Arabian Sea, punctuating the 3,165 kilometre coastline of the Sultanate of Oman, should be suitably harnessed to attract beach loving tourists from around the world, says a Turkish tourism expert.
Mehmet Tunc Mustecaplioglu, Area General Manager of Orascom’s Dhofar destinations, insists that the tourism potential associated with Oman’s beaches can surpass that of a popular destination like Egypt.
“Oman is currently only using 5 per cent of its beach potential,” Mehmet told the Observer. "We have to attract investors to come here and develop the country’s beaches. People will come here for beach holidays in the wintertime, and Oman will face no competition, except perhaps from its GCC neighbours and Egypt.” In this regard, the veteran hotelier who has spent three decades in the hospitality industry, urged the government to invest in developing the country's beaches and promoting them to tourists from around the world.
Turning to Salalah, the expert appealed for more efforts to promote Salalah beyond the markets currently being targeted by authorities. With its pleasant, subtropical climate, Salalah becomes a magnet for people seeking an escape from the heat, he said.
"We are expecting 800,000 tourists to Salalah during the khareef season," Mehmet said. "Of these tourists, 80% will be from other cities in Oman and 20% will be from Gulf countries." He noted that many people in Saudi Arabia are not aware of Salalah, and that they tend to focus on tourist destinations in northern Oman.
"We need to do a better job of promoting Salalah to tourists from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries," Mehmet said. "We also need to improve the infrastructure in Salalah to make it more attractive to tourists." Mehmet, who previously served as CEO of a hotel chain in Turkey, said that tourists from new markets, such as Russia, Georgia, and Iran, are not familiar with Oman's khareef season.
"They don't know that Oman has a monsoon season," Mehmet said. "They think it's always hot and sunny here." As a result, these tourists are not as likely to spend money on activities and amenities at hotels, according to Mehmet.
"They just have breakfast and then come back to their rooms in the evening," he said. "They don't use the hotel facilities." Hoteliers in Oman are also facing challenges during the khareef season, he points out, primarily because of the brevity of the khareef season, lasting only from July to September. This makes it difficult for hotels to make a profit during this time, as they have to cover their costs for the rest of the year.
"Nobody should build a hotel for the khareef season," Mehmet said. "It's just a short period." Despite the challenges, Mehmet believes that Oman has the potential to become a major tourist destination during the khareef season. He urged the government to invest in promoting the country to tourists from new markets.
"Oman has the potential to be the next Antalya," Mehmet said. "We just need to take the necessary steps to make it happen.
In addition to the challenges of marketing Oman to new tourists, hoteliers are also facing challenges in meeting the expectations of European tourists.
"Europeans have different expectations than tourists from other countries," Mehmet said. "They want a higher level of service and amenities." As a result, hotels in Oman are having to invest in upgrading their facilities and training their staff to meet the demands of European tourists.
"It's not easy," Mehmet said. "But we're committed to providing the best possible experience for our guests." Despite the challenges, Mehmet is optimistic about the future of tourism in Oman. He believes that the country has the potential to become a major tourist destination for people from all over the world.
"Oman is a beautiful country with a lot to offer tourists," Mehmet said. "I'm confident that we will see continued growth in tourism in the years to come."
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