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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Tourist spots geared up for Eid holiday rush

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MUSCAT, MAY 28 - The stunning tourist spots across the Sultanate are set to receive tourists during Eid al Fitr holidays. With the announcement of Eid holidays and followed by weekend, domestic tourism promotion department at the Ministry of Tourism is expecting a decent rise in the number of visitors. “We have all reasons to expect more tourists to various local destinations,” says Saleh al Khaifi, head of promotions at the ministry. Oman’s numerous local tourist destinations are nothing short of a perfect holiday spot, and the number of tourists being pulled to the charm are on the rise, he added.


The movement of both nationals and residents too has been on the rise, especially after some of the castles and forts got major facelift and additional amenities were added at important tourist spots. In February this year, 297,000 tourists visited Oman against 282,000 in January, while Oman recorded an average of 267,000 tourist arrivals a month between 2015 and 2019, touching an all-time high of 466,000 in October, 2018. According to Al Khaifi, Oman’s unique coastline, rugged mountains, well-maintained lakes, parks and beaches, forts and castles of historic importance, and beautiful landscapes, all in one frame are a big attraction to both domestic and foreign tourists.


“We have been focusing on developing domestic tourist sites with moderate temperatures to serve as destinations through out the year. These include Dhofar Governorate, Jabal Shams, Jabal Akhdhar, Al Hamra, Wadi Bani Khalid, Wakan and the like which offer a perfect holiday for the yearning tourists,” Al Khaifi said. The recently-reopened Bayt al Rudaydah Castle is hosting a “Traditional Weapons Exhibition”, in Birkat al Mouz at Al Dakhiliyah Governorate for visitors. This is open 5 days a week, from Wednesday to Sunday. The Bayt Rudaydah Castle was open to public in April this year after being closed for months for maintenance works.


Additionally, maintenance of trekking paths in the Western and Eastern Hajar Mountains are currently under way which too will be another attractions to tourists. Accordingly, trekking paths of more than 100 km length have been under maintenance and development to attract tourists. They will also be developing and maintaining paths suitable for a wilderness/semi wilderness setting. “We will also be installing large signboards showing trail map with contour lines and coloured layers indicating heights, cliff faces, elevation section of the trail, new and old villages or areas of habitation, marked and unmarked walking paths, road network indicating the standard of roads and vehicle tracks, and points of interest in order to assist the trekkers”, he added.


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