Muscat – Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has generated estimated returns of more than RO298mn from promotional and media campaigns between 2021 and 2024, as part of a strategic effort to strengthen the country’s presence on the global tourism map.

According to the ministry, 235 promotional campaigns targeting Arab, Asian and European markets brought in around RO95.65mn, while 88 media campaigns over the same period generated approximately RO202.56mn. The campaigns were part of a multi-year marketing strategy designed to attract tourist groups, promote Omani destinations and products, and build international partnerships in the tourism sector.

Saada bint Abdullah al Harthi, Director of Market Development Department at MHT, said these efforts were conducted in coordination with tourism stakeholders and foreign representative offices. “The campaigns support our goals to promote tourism products, showcase hospitality offerings, and strengthen links between Omani and international tourism entities,” she said.

The ministry plans to continue its outreach in 2025 with 84 joint promotional campaigns, 46 media campaigns and 19 external advertising campaigns across key markets. Additionally, it will conduct 43 familiarisation trips for travel companies and 55 for media professionals, and introduce training programmes focused on digital marketing, sustainability and artificial intelligence.

To improve market access, Oman has expanded its global network of tourism representative offices to 11, covering 26 international markets. New offices are planned for Madrid to cover Spain and other Latin-speaking countries, and Singapore, which will oversee outreach in Southeast Asia. Both are expected to be operational by mid-2025.

In recent months, Oman has activated its tourism office in Moscow, contributing to over 44,000 Russian tourists visiting the country in 2024. A similar activation in China saw more than 73,000 Chinese tourists arrive last year.

Campaigns in GCC states have also had a notable impact, particularly the ‘Marhaba Dhofar’ initiative, which brought together tourism companies from Oman and Saudi Arabia to highlight attractions in Dhofar, including its winter season and the Sarb festival.

“The ministry’s continued coordination with foreign offices and local stakeholders aims to develop a stronger tourism economy and increase the sector’s contribution to GDP,” Saada said.

MHT also plans to launch a platform to support tourism partners and offer workshops to local companies. These efforts are part of a broader push to foster innovation, improve international cooperation and maintain the momentum achieved in recent years.

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