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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Salalah can be wonderful paragliding destination

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Salalah, May 20 - When most of the people prefer staying indoors to avoid exposure to sun, this gentleman is out, from one beach to another or from one mountain to another, to weigh the heaviness of the air and then takes out his paragliding tools to take a dive or two in the air.


Dongseok Oh, a paragliding tandem pilot from South Korea, is a different kind of tourist in Salalah.


He is looking into the tourism potentials of Salalah beyond greenery and beautiful beaches, and finds there are many things that can be done in Salalah to attract tourists and offer entertainment to those who are already here.


Being a paragliding expert, he finds great opportunities in this as he himself has tried the air and the mountain cliffs, which according to him, are perfect for this kind of tourism.


“Paragliding is the safest and easiest way to get to the sky so far, and the size of the equipment is so small that one can easily carry it and enjoy holiday trip… I have been travelling to different countries and paragliding for 15 years,” said Oh, while telling about his interest in paragliding.


Oh steals time to travel around the world when he does not have work in Korea.


Winter in Korea is the best time for him to roam around countries to explore and experience paragliding.


He is in Salalah since three months and admits to have spent the longest time “due to suitable locations I got to do paragliding.”


“I am surprised why no serious effort has been done to include paragliding in the tourism activity of the country. In Oman, especially in Salalah, there are beautiful beach cliffs and high mountain cliffs. I think, they can be grounds for many tourist products and paragliding could be one of them,” he said.

Oh insists that he has been talking about Salalah’s strength based on his experience.


He has been paragliding for the last 16 years and has been working as a tandem pilot for the past 10 years.


“I first came to Salalah on a weekly plan in February. But I stayed 10 more days because everything in Salalah sounded very good to me. I went back and came again… for the last two months I am enjoying paragliding as Salalah has so many beautiful places to paraglide.”


He finds many similarities between Korea and Oman. “Korea, like Oman, is a sea and mountain country. But there are lots of trees in Korea. It is also similar to people’s helping nature in both the countries, helping strangers and to be kind and helpful to those who needed help is common in both the countries… Oman of course is a country with a long history and a developed maritime.”


Oh suggested Salalah can have many tourist products derived from its beaches and mountain cliffs.


Having the desert with sea and the beach cliffs with sea is a good condition for making active game products for the tourists.


He also suggested beach to beach public transport to maintain those activities on a regular basis.


Kaushalendra Singh


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