The number of Russian tourists visiting Oman in 2018 increased by 150%. Also, more than 4,000 Russian tourists visited the country over the first two months of 2019. This was announced by State Council Chairman Yahya bin Mahfood Al-Mantri during his visit to Russia.
“According to the latest statistics, the number of Russians who come to Oman for tourism purposes has increased by 150%. In January and February of this year, more than 4,000 Russian tourists visited our country. This means that our country has become a new tourist center for citizens of Russia,” said Al-Mantri in his speech to the Federation Council.
According to him, the government of Oman will continue the course of providing benefits to Russians who come to the country for tourist purposes, including by giving them the opportunity to receive an electronic visa to Oman. Russia is on the first position in the list of states whose citizens receive entry visas using simplified procedures.
Recall, “a noticeable expansion of the tourist flow” - this is the goal of creating the Oman Tourism Office in Russia, which was presented during the MITT 2019. However, as Mr. Salem Adi Al Mamari, the Director General of the Tourism Promotion Department of the Ministry of Tourism of the Sultanate of Oman, said, they will not try to increase the total number of tourists in the country, choosing in favor of quality and the “high” segment. Nevertheless, plans include active work with tour operators, various promotion activities, and expansion to the regions mainly due to code-share flights, as well as the launching of a Russian-language website.
“The mission of the Representative Office will be the promotion of Oman as a destination for recreational tourism, as well as an attractive region for MICE industry and investment, including the dissemination of information to raise awareness of Russian tourists about Oman, showcase of attractive tourist locations, interaction with the media, assistance in organizing exhibitions, workshops, seminars, etc.,” such is the official declaration.
The number of tourists in the Russian tourist flow to Oman is still small, but the growth rate is good. “Last year we hosted only 3.2 million tourists, while about 20 thousand arrived from Russia. But the increase was 170% against 2016 due to the introduction of free visa policy: Russia was included in the list of countries whose citizens can visit the Sultanate of Oman under a simplified scheme. Oman visa can now be issued online on a special visa website of the Oman Police,” explained Mr. Al - Mantri.
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