Muscat: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and the Office of the Governor of South al Sharqiyah have unveiled events and activities in Sur, which is the Capital for Arab Tourism 2024.
Azzan bin Qasim al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said that the Sultanate of Oman has achieved tangible development in the tourism sector and has emerged as a distinguished destination on the global tourism map.
The total number of visitors to the Sultanate of Oman as of November 2023 was 3.5 million.
The Governor of South al Sharqiyah said the nomination of Sur as the capital of Arab tourism is an important incentive to complete tourism development projects and continuously improve the quality of tourism services in line with aspirations.
The Ministry and its partners in the tourism sector aim to maximize the benefits of what the state has to offer, which includes archaeological sites, beaches, valleys, springs, caves, and natural reserves.
The city was selected for its prestigious status following its edge over other competing cities in various parameters such as the availability of infrastructure and tourism resources, the diversity of tourism patterns and activities, as well as policies and directions for preserving the environment.
The selection process also took into account the city’s rich historical and cultural components and the presence of different archaeological sites representing different eras.
Several archaeological sites of Sur have been included in the Unesco World Heritage list and its tentative list.
A tentative list is an inventory of those properties which each state party intends to consider for nomination.
Additionally, there are natural sites such as beaches, valleys, springs, caves, and natural reserves that attract tourists both from within and outside Oman.
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