Exceptional khareef gives big boost to Dhofar hotels

MUSCAT: A total number of 32,914 guests stayed in three and five-star hotels in Dhofar Governorate during June and July, said a recently released official data.

The increase in the number of visitors for the current season is due to the exceptional khareef season in the Dhofar Governorate this year.

The rise in the number of hotel guests this year was also due to the halt in movement of visitors for two years caused by Covid-19 pandemic.

The hotel sector is witnessing promising revenues, as the revenues of hotels rated from 3 to 5 stars in the Sultanate of Oman recorded a remarkable increase of 117.6 per cent until the end of July 2022, with very high turnover and occupancy rate reaching at 25.4 per cent.

During the khareef season, four new hotel facilities were opened in the governorate, including three in the Wilayat of Salalah and one in the Wilayat of Mirbat, adding 457 new rooms and providing 739 beds for the tourism activity in the governorate.

The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism works to establish resorts and projects that attract tourists; in order to meet the increasing demand for hotel units and tourist destinations, especially in locations that have unique natural features in the governorate.

The ministry attaches great importance to attracting investments that are concerned with tourism development and development to future prospects that keep up with the tourism activity in the governorate.

HH Sayyid Marwan bin Turki al Said, Governor of Dhofar, said earlier: “What we see from the visitors of khareef Dhofar this year indicates that there is a renewal and new diversity for this year.”

Khareef visitors can easily book hotels through electronic applications, which in turn facilitate the process of booking hotel accommodation for the tourist, as well as getting to know various tourist places in the wilayats of the Dhofar Governorate.

Moreover, large number of hotel reservations is not limited to individuals and families, but there are many tourism companies from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries that have begun to flock to the governorate.