Khaleej Times: Arab League member states Oman and Egypt are actively considering marketing the two countries as a single tourist package in a new move to attract a larger number of holidaymakers to the region, a senior official said.
Tourism Under-secretary Mohammed bin Hamoud Al Toobi said a study had been launched to market the tourism potentials of the Sultanate and Egypt as a single package and jointly participate in regional and international travel and tourism fairs. "The move is part of a drive to strengthen tourism cooperation between our two countries," he added.
He was addressing a news conference together with his Egyptian counterpart Anwar Abu al Ula, who is visiting Oman at the head of a delegation to explore cooperation possibilities.
Toobi said Oman and Egypt were pressing ahead with plans to sign a tourism collaboration agreement and to jointly invest in the sector. He also noted that tourist movement between the two countries rose by more than 15 per cent last year.
Outlining his country's drive to develop tourism, he said the Sultanate currently boasted 8,300 hotel rooms, adding that the number was expected to increase to 16,000 in 2010. Ula said Egypt considered Oman as one of its "most important and promising" tourist markets, pointing out that the number of Omanis visiting Egypt in 2006 increased by 17 per cent over the preceding year to reach 17,000.
"We are hopeful that this number will rise further in the future in the light of the excellent relations between the two brotherly countries," he added.
Meanwhile, 12 travel and tour companies and hotels from Oman are participating in the 'I-Mix' exhibition which opened in Frankfurt. The three-day show, specialising in conference, incentive and business tourism, features elite representatives of top European tourism companies that organise tours outside Germany, besides major tour companies from other parts of the world.
"The Sultanate's participation comes within the context of intensifying promotional and marketing efforts to project the country as a model destination in the region for holding international conferences," a spokesman for the Tourism Ministry said.
He added the Omani delegation would acquaint participants with the country's "distinguished and unique tourism possibilities." |