MUSCAT: Revenues at three- to five-star hotels in the Sultanate of Oman fell 11.7 per cent to RO 171.10 million in the first nine months of 2026, as lower guest numbers from Europe and Gulf countries weighed on business, preliminary official data showed.
Revenue declined from RO 193.80 million in the corresponding period of 2025, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
The number of guests fell 10.4 per cent to approximately 1.51 million, compared with 1.69 million a year earlier. Hotel occupancy dropped to 46.5 per cent from 52.7 per cent, a decline of 6.2 percentage points.
Omani guests remained the largest customer group, with their numbers increasing 3.4 per cent to about 664,100 from 642,100 in the January-September period of 2025.
European guests ranked second, although their numbers fell 30.7 per cent to approximately 289,200 from 417,500. The decline contrasted with growth in Asian guests, whose numbers increased 2.9 per cent to about 249,700 from 242,600.
Guests from Gulf Cooperation Council countries fell 19.9 per cent to approximately 132,800, compared with 165,800 a year earlier.
The number of guests from other Arab countries declined 8.1 per cent to about 69,500 from 75,600, while arrivals from the Americas fell 27.5 per cent to approximately 40,100 from 55,300.
African guest numbers increased 8.8 per cent to about 11,700, compared with approximately 10,800 in the corresponding period of 2025.
Guests from Oceania recorded the steepest percentage decline among the listed markets, falling 57.6 per cent to approximately 13,600 from 32,100.
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