MUSCAT: A new digital tourism marketing campaign kicks off shortly with an eye on markets in Europe and the GCC region, according to key official of Visit Oman, the National Travel Operator of the Sultanate of Oman.
Shabib al Maamari, Managing Director, said the campaign, first unveiled by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism on November 6, 2023, will get underway on November 20. Dubbed ‘Gift For Life’, the campaign will run until the start of ITB Berlin 2024, the world’s premier travel trade show, which is due to take place in the German capital during early March 2024. The Sultanate of Oman is the official host country of ITB Berlin 2024.
Speaking to Breaking Travel News (BTN) during the World Travel Market (WTM), which concluded in London last week, Al Maamari said the ‘Gift For Life’ campaign encompasses what Oman has to offer as a holiday destination.
“We're encouraging people to reach out to their loved ones and give them something that they can enjoy: which is Oman, in this case. We have a wealth of content, a wealth of experience that we want to promote through this digital campaign. And what better way than gifting someone that you love with an experience of a lifetime in Oman.”
Holiday packages on offer as part of this initiative centre around adventure tourism, solitude, culture and other themes characteristic of Oman’s diverse tourism attributes, Al Maamari said.
“We also have 3, 000 kilometers of coastline, we have the mountains, we have the desert, and we have culture. So there are a lot of different offerings for different market segments.”
Visit Oman’s presence at WTM 2023, which is essentially a B2B-focused travel fair, was an opportunity to showcase Oman to participants eyeing new destinations and events, Al Maamari noted.
Source markets for Oman, he said, are those that can be reached by national carrier Oman Air. While the list includes neighbouring GCC countries, West Europe and India, Oman is also eager to expand into East European markets, he stated.
Visit Oman also leverages its relationships and arrangements with over 60 airlines to connect with destinations around the world, including North and South America and the Far East, he said.
During the 3-day WTM, which ran from November 6 – 8, Visit Oman signed a number of agreements with leading travel service providers to help broaden the appeal of its integrated digital travel booking platform.
Notable was a partnership pact signed with global connectivity platform Prioticket, which will enable all B2B stakeholders, including online travel agents, hotels, tour operators, and destination management companies, to explore Oman's full range of offerings. The partnership will facilitate mobile transactions, timely bookings, and a higher level of digital maturity, ensuring seamless interactions between industry resellers.
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