MUSCAT: The Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) says it is seeking to capitalise on its record-breaking performance of 2023 to further strengthen its positioning as a key driver of growth across the wider national tourism and hospitality industry.
In support of this goal, OCEC – the premier destination of Oman’s MICE tourism segment – plans to partner with key stakeholders such as Oman Airports, OMRAN and Visit Oman, among others, in ensuring that business travel has a multiplier effect across all aspects of the sector.
“We have been working closely with Oman Airports and other stakeholders in the industry to showcase the economic impact of business events tourism and how they can benefit from it,” said Eng Said al Shanfari, CEO - OCEC.
“Research shows, for instance, that business travellers spend up to four times more than leisure travellers, from the premium hotels they choose to the business class travel options. This allows us to create more cross-over insights with our current working groups to showcase the MICE sector's impact on the tourism industry. Our current assumption is that building OCEC as a MICE destination enables the country to be more widely positioned as a safe, attractive, and welcoming tourism destination. The OCEC remains committed to ensuring that we can attract international and regional events to benefit the whole tourism industry.”
In remarks to the Observer, Al Shanfari highlighted the Centre’s role in driving tourism inflows into Oman. “Tourist inflows and incoming flights are often driven by some of the events we organize, attracting international and regional delegates,” he said, citing in this regard NCSI statistics to show a 40 per cent uptick in arrivals from the January to October 2023 period, compared to the same period in 2022.
“Some of the leisure tourists coming to Oman have often visited our country as business travellers before and vice-versa. The two are intimately linked,” he stressed.
Pan-sectoral collaboration
A working group of industry stakeholders, established by OCEC, now seeks to drive more cohesion in managing the inflow of business tourists, according to the CEO. One key area of focus is to underscore the valuable economic impact of business events for the sector, he said.
“In 2023, we estimate that the direct total income generated from MICE is about $1.9 billion in Oman. We want all tourism stakeholders to benefit through direct economic growth, foreign investments, and job creation. The key here is the multiplier effect: how can one event generate economic growth for the rest of the country?”
An equally important goal is to encourage tourism companies and other hospitality stakeholders to capitalize on the large number of international delegates attending conferences in Oman. By making these visitors feel welcome, they are very likely to return as leisure travellers, as they often do, Al Shanfari noted.
Furthermore, stakeholders need to work together to ensure that visiting delegates have a more seamless experience when they arrive for the first time.
“This means we need to coordinate with key stakeholders such as hotels or airports to ensure the experience is positive throughout the delegate’s journey. In our bid for international events, we also include tourism activities available for delegates during conferences; this is key to ensure that the event organizer can plan a comprehensive set of activities that cater to everyone. For us, working with tourism companies is key to ensuring we can provide the best programme possible,” the CEO explained.
Sustainability & Digitalisation
Shedding light on the Centre’s principal objectives for 2024, the CEO said OCEC plans to invest in digitalization and sustainability initiatives. This includes plans for a solar project, and the deployment of digital systems and AI to enhance its competitiveness. At the same time, the Centre has pledged to enhance efforts to support SMEs and young graduates starting in the tourism sector. Promoting inclusivity is another important priority for this year, he noted. “We are a venue welcoming all. Although our programme of events tends to be very B2B, we also ensure that we can welcome all generations to the OCEC. We have various local events, such as the International Bookfair Festival or Muscat Art, which have reunited thousands of local citizens in the OCEC.”
Further, as an event organizer in its own right, OCEC aims to build on its portfolio of in-house events, such as Muscat Art, MIJEX, or the Oman Perfume Show.
“These tend to attract many visitors and cater completely to our local markets. In February, we will organize the Moonlight market during the International Bookfair Festival, which is one of the busiest times of the year for the OCEC. The idea is to attract wider crowds and activate the whole venue,” Al Shanfari said.
In conclusion, the CEO credited the Centre’s laudable achievements to OCEC’s staff. “One thing that I am grateful for is my team: we have a diverse range of talents at the OCEC with many Omanis bringing their expertise in events, sales, finance and marketing to drive our venue forward. Their dedication is what makes the OCEC’s success truly meaningful. For 2024, we will focus on being innovative and breaking new records to make the OCEC and Oman one of the best destinations for MICE tourism in the region,” he added.
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