Over 2.1m tourists visited the Sultanate in 2013, according to government figures, up by 7.8% on the previous year. Tourism made a direct contribution of US$2.5bn to the economy in 2013, equivalent to three percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to a report released in April by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
The council’s Travel and Tourism Economic Impact 2014 report on Oman said it expected that figure to rise by 10.2% this year, after which it anticipates an average annual increase of 5.4% throughout the following decade.
Tourism’s overall contribution to Oman’s economy last year reached US$5bn, and is forecast to hit US$10.1bn by 2024, the council said. By this time, the WTTC concluded, the industry should account directly for 4.4% of national employment.
Oman has witnessed an increase in domestic business and leisure travel on the back of rising economic momentum. The domestic travel component accounted for more than half of all direct spending, according to the council’s findings.
The Ministry of Tourism last year sanctioned the development of 54 new hotel resorts across the country for 2014, which will increase the number of rooms available by almost 3000. A total of 24 new hotels opened their doors in 2013, bringing the number to 282, while room stocks reached 14,400, marking a 12.3% year-on-year increase, the ministry said in June.
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