MUSCAT, SEPT 13
The Oman Tourism Development Company (Omran Group), in collaboration with Ithca Group, successfully featured the winning innovators and entrepreneurs of the Tourism & Hospitality Track within the Scale Award at Comex Oman 2025.
This milestone marked the first major tourism start-up-focused competition, combining showcasing, pitching and networking under one roof. The showcase celebrated some of the most promising start-ups, presenting pioneering solutions that addressed real-world industry challenges while exploring opportunities to shape the future of tourism.
The Tourism & Hospitality Track was developed to support and empower start-ups in the sector by addressing real-world challenges and inspiring innovative solutions informed by global and regional trends.
Participants were given direct access to investors and industry partners, creating a valuable platform for exposure, investment and knowledge exchange. The top ten projects presented their pitches to a judging panel, gaining direct engagement with decision-makers and potential backers.
The top three projects in this track were also recognised: “Valo”, an integrated smart booking application for tourism establishments in Oman that offers innovative financial solutions to boost profitability and operates on a “pay-per-use” model; “GuiderX”, an on-demand platform that directly connects travellers with local tour guides in real time; and “Mulhem”, an immersive visual and sensory experience that blends entertainment with cultural elements, utilising advanced motion seating technologies in 3D and 6D with dynamic effects such as air, vibration and water spray.
The collaboration between Omran Group and Ithca Group reflects a strategic alignment to foster a thriving start-up ecosystem. Ithca Group’s investment in the outcomes of its Business Accelerators Programme, coupled with Omran Group’s role in connecting high-potential start-ups to market opportunities, has created a direct pathway for entrepreneurial ventures to contribute to Oman’s tourism development. Together, both organisations are enabling a pipeline of innovative solutions that strengthen the sector’s competitiveness, create economic value and empower a new generation of tourism entrepreneurs.
This initiative complements other national entrepreneurship programmes, hackathons and incubation efforts in tourism, ICT and sustainability. It underscores both organisations' commitment to nurturing innovators, advancing private-sector growth and building platforms for collaboration that accelerate progress towards Oman Vision 2040.
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