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Oman Air introduces holiday packages

DUBAI - Tourist traffic between Oman and the UAE is expected to increase significantly following the relaxed visa procedures and facilities introduced on July 9 by the Ministry of Commmerce and Industry.

"The tourist numbers, whether the business people, tourists or those visiting Dubai and staying in Oman for a few days, are growing tremendously. The relationship between Oman and the UAE is excellent and the people here in the UAE are enjoying the attractions in Muscat. Most importantly, Oman Air has seven daily flights between Muscat and Dubai with convenient flight timings," Sabreen Sabry, Oman Air's new Country Manager for the UAE, told reporters at a Press conference here.

The Press conference was held to announce the Oman Air's cooperation with the Directorate General of Tourism for Oman to promote tourism between Oman and the UAE.

According to the Omani hotels establishment statistics, 71,697 UAE national tourists visited Oman in 2002, registering a 9.17 per cent increase from 2001 which saw 65,122 UAE national tourists.

"The new visa procedures and facilities to Oman have now been relaxed. At the Crowne Plaza on July 21, Mohsin Khamis Al Balushi, Under-Secretary of the Tourism at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, mentioned that nationalities mentioned in list No.2 can obtain single entry visa on arrival in Oman through air entry points only and that they should purchase a complete tourist package which include accommodation and an air ticket using a national airline which include Oman Air and Gulf Air.

"Accordingly, Oman Air has introduced holiday packages which also include accommodation in a range of hotel properties," she said.

Under the single entry visa rules, nationals belonging to list No. 2 include Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, Tunisia, India and Morocco.

"Yearly, we have the Khareef festival in Salalah which we promote during the summer. In addition to flights from the UAE to Salalah via Muscat, Oman Air has introduced three direct flights from Dubai to Salalah on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. In conjunction with the Six Continents group of hotels, Oman Air has also introduced the 'Magic of Muscat' holiday packages starting from Dh615 which has been successful," Ms Sabry said.

The Khareef holiday packages that Oman Air offers start from Dh1,485.

Hotel statistics in 2002 showed that a total of 602,109 foreign guests stayed in Oman's hotels and tourist motels, representing a 6.64 per cent increase over the previous year's foreign guest numbers which totalled 562,119. In 1998, Oman received a total of 423,953 foreign guests.

Introduced in 2002, the 'Explore Oman beyond Muscat' package is offering air fare between Oman and the UAE and accommodation in interesting destinations in Oman such as Sur (Dh970), Khasab (Dh2,145) and Nizwa (Dh915).

In addition, Oman Air also flies to various holiday destinations which include Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai, Chennai, Beirut, Cairo, Dar-es-Salaam and Zanzibar, Mombasa and Colombo.

Ms Sabry revealed that Oman Air, which flies to 18 destinations, has plans to expand to new destinations in Europe and the Far East.