Oman tourism to see strong rebound, says Fitch Solutions

Oman tourism to see strong rebound, says Fitch Solutions

Tourism in the Sultanate of Oman is expected to witness a strong recovery in 2022 following normalisation of international travel.

While revising Oman’s growth forecast following “higher-than-expected hydrocarbon production and stronger non-hydrocarbon exports growth”, Fitch Solutions said that the country is also set to benefit from a strong recovery in tourism activity.

Highlighting several factors, the global country risk and research firm said, “We expect the normalisation of international travel will drive a rebound in tourism in Oman”.

Indeed, non-Omani hotel guests saw a surge of 137.6 per cent year on year in the first four months of 2022. The number of hotel guests recorded an increase by 34.7 per cent to reach 511,429 and the occupancy rate increased to 14.5 per cent in April alone.

“We expect this momentum will continue throughout 2022, with Oman set to benefit from Qatar hosting the World Cup”, the global agency said in its report on June 20.

The Fifa World Cup in Qatar is a great opportunity for Oman to boost tourism. Oman Air is set to operate shuttle flights between Qatar and Oman, making it more accessible for foreign fans to also visit Oman when the World Cup is hosted.

Muscat is among the cities in the