Oman’s adventure tourism industry has received a major boost with the discovery of new caves, including the Kittat al Suwairat Cave in the Wilayat of Al Hamra on Tuesday. A large number of visitors, especially from Europe, come to the country for adventure tourism and they criss-cross the Oman inlands for the purpose. Drawing inspiration from the New Zealand experience, the government is developing an executive plan and a manual for developing a safety system for adventure tourists. It will also develop a manual on wadi adventure tourism. The Ministry of Tourism seeks to promote Oman as a destination for all types of adventures, including trekking in Muttrah, swimming in Wadi Bani Khalid, diving in Duqm and cycling in Dhofar.
Many tourists from Europe, mostly from Germany, head to the Sultanate during the adventure season, which starts in November and goes on until May-end. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), top tourists to Oman include Germans (182,822) at the second spot.
While Europeans accounted for 89.9 per cent of the total number of visitors, Germans accounted for 38.6 per cent. A statement from the Ministry of Tourism on Wednesday said the cave will be a potential tourist adventure destination.
“Oman is a great place for trekking, mountain climbing, diving or cycling. Also a safe country, we just follow the detailed maps provided by the Ministry of Tourism or some travel books,” said Mark Tuner, a German tourist visiting the Muttrah Souq. “The Sinkhole near Tiwi is a great place for divers, while the entire region around Jabal Shams and Jabal Al Akdhar is an adventurer’s delight,” he said. Shanavas Khan, who has been trekking in the country for the last 20 years, feels there should be more facilities for visitors.
“The government should have some advanced facilities management system at the tourist sites such as guides, trainers and room facilities for visitors,” he said. The Kittat al Suwairat Cave is located about 15 km west of the popular Al Hoota Cave, about 2 km west of the village of Hail al Shas, in the southern flanks of Jabal Shams. The cave’s paths run southward parallel to the inclination or dip of the rock units at the foot of the mountain, at a dip angle of 20 degrees to the south. The first is located at the beginning of the cave and is 80 metres deep.
The second is located immediately after the first and is about 30 metres deep. The third is located about 200 metres inside the cave after the second drop, and it is 12 metres deep. Three new caves were discovered by the local residents in November this year, including Al Khishil Cave, Al Naqqah Cave and Al Faqa’a in the village of Hail Al Hareem in Dima W’attayeen. Traditionally, Oman can be called the land of caves and some of these include the Abu Habban Cave in Dima W’attayeen, Al Hoota Cave, Al Kittan Cave, Jernan Cave, Majlis Al Jinn Cave, Muqal Cave, Al Marnif Cave and Teeq Cave and Tawi Ateer Sinkhole.
Vinod Nair
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