ATM 2013 road show lands in Muscat as industry backs US$39 million
investment into development of Dhofar province and diversified economic
focus for the Sultanate
Muscat was the penultimate destination
for the ATM 2013 road show, which took place today (Monday 11 February)
in the Grand Hyatt Hotel. Previous road show locations included Kuwait,
Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon with the final event taking place in the
UAE.
The Sultanate of Oman is taking a 360-degree look at its
tourism product as government investment and private sector interest
raises the profile of the country’s diverse geography with a raft of
pipeline projects underway from Khasab to Salalah.
“The Omani
government has allocated US$39 million to develop tourism sites in
Dhofar province this year, as the annual Khareef (monsoon) season
attracts increasing numbers of local, regional and international
visitors. This shift of focus outside of the capital, Muscat, is a clear
sign that the Sultanate is powering ahead with a well thought-out and
diversified plan for tourism growth,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio
Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.
Muscat International Airport’s
new multi-million dollar terminal is set to open next year, with the
capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum, with the potential
for a projected 48 million passengers upon completion of its long term
phased expansion programme. To the south of the country, new tourism
hotspot Salalah is also preparing for one million passengers each year
once it debuts its upgraded airport in 2014.
Both Qatar Airways
and Oman Air are launching new services from Salalah in 2013, with the
airport recording a 23% rise in passenger traffic to 629,000 travellers
in 2012 against 2011.
Oman will have a strong presence at ATM this year. Major exhibitors include the Oman Ministry of Tourism and Oman Air.
Hotel
room capacity in the country is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.3% over
the period 2011 to 2016 and the Sultanate currently has approximately
5,331 rooms – or 7% of GCC expected supply – under development, with
some 2,000 hotel rooms ready for business by the end of 2013, according
to the Ministry of Tourism.
In Salalah, a Club Med, Mövenpick
and Rotana will add a further much-needed 1,158 rooms to the market,
with another two five-star hotels and supporting mixed-use facilities in
the pipeline as part of the Muriya Tourism Development initiative.
According
to Alpen Capital’s 2012 GCC Hospitality Industry Report, released last
October, tourist arrivals into Oman are expected to grow at a CAGR of
5.7%, between 2012 and 2022 and the Ministry of Tourism aims to increase
the GDP contribution of tourism from 2% in 2011 to around 3.5% in 2015.
Occupancy rates are expected to increase from 53% in 2011 to
58.6% by 2016. Average daily rates are also set to benefit as occupancy
rates strengthen, increasing from US$245 in 2011 to US$258.9 by 2016.
Overall the hospitality market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 8.6%
between 2011 and 2016.
Held under the patronage of His Highness
Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister
of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and set to celebrate its 20th anniversary,
the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the
region and one of the biggest in the world.
New to the 2013
event, ATM is launching the Digital and Technology Day focusing on
online travel developments and showcasing headline speakers from across
the industry.
Taking place again this year is the New Frontiers
Award, which was created to recognise outstanding contributions to
tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Industry
Careers Day will wrap up the week providing the opportunity for
visitors looking to make a career move to meet with the exhibitors’ HR
contacts looking for their next recruit.
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