MUSCAT: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism marked the World Tourism Day 2022, which falls on September 27 every year.
The ministry organises a series of events and activities to promote the Sultanate of Oman as a distinctive destination in the region and globally. These activities aim to attract more visitors to the country’s various governorates.
The celebrations in the Sultanate of Oman are held under the global theme “Rethinking Tourism”, in response to the World Tourism Organisation’s invitation to observe the sector’s recovery after being hit by the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic in recent years.
Marking the day also aims to highlight the ministry’s efforts to realise “Oman Vision 2040”. The vision targets reinvigorating the tourism sector’s contribution to the country’s GDP from 2.4% in 2021 to 5% in 2030 and 10% in 2040, according to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).
Events organised by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism on the day include education and awareness-raising activities, training sessions, and a media event to talk about the potential of the tourism sector in generating more jobs. Official statistics show an increase in the number of Omani nationals working in the hospitality industry, which went up from 3,752 in 2020 to 5,230 nationals last year, witnessing a growth rate of 39.3%.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism also highlighted the investment opportunities in the tourism sector in the various governorates, placed importance on training and sectoral knowledge, and urged businesses to take advantage of the many available opportunities, as they have resulted in the country seeing a strong increase in visitor numbers compared to last year.
The event will also highlight the efforts undertaken to showcase the Sultanate of Oman’s Fifa programme, which supports the State of Qatar’s efforts to host a successful World Cup. The efforts are designed to celebrate the organisation of the global event in the GCC region by attracting fans to the Sultanate of Oman and in particular Muscat, which is one of the main cities furnished to receive World Cup fans from 20 November to 18 December 2022.
World Tourism Day has been celebrated on 27 September every year since 1980. It marks the anniversary of the adoption of the statute of the World Tourism Organisation, which was founded in 1975. — ONA
