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Oman is looking to boost its cruise tourism as the sultanate prepares for the winter season, which kicks off in October.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) is participating in the ongoing Seatrade Europe exhibition in Hamburg, which specialises in sea and river cruise tourism, as it looks to forge government and private sector partnerships to drive cruise traffic to the sultanate.
In an interview with the country’s state news agency Khalid Mohammed Al Azri, Director of Tourism Patterns Department at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism earlier said Oman has succeeded in attracting major companies cruise ships, operators to make regular calls to several ports in the country, including the Port of Salalah, the Port of Sultan Qaboos in Muscat and the Port of Khasab.
Al Azri said the country was targeting its pre-pandemic high of 280,000 cruise tourists, with the current season expected to clock 200 port calls by international liners.
The winter cruise season in Oman runs from October to April.
In April, the MHT had stated it was closely working with the country’s Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology (MTCIT) to offer sites for investment along Oman’s coast to promote yacht tourism in the country as well.
A MTCIT spokesperson was quoted in the Muscat Daily, saying: “The ministry will offer several sites to the private sector to invest along the Omani coast after determining the best places for berthing yachts and setting up allied services. The ministry also wants to establish a harbour in the wilayat of Sur, South Sharqiyah, with the aim of berthing yachts as well as maintaining small and medium sized ships.”
(Writing by Bindu Rai, editing by Seban Scaria)
