4 days ago
Oman's tourism sector contributes over RO2 billion in 2024
Muscat: The tourism sector's contribution to the national economy rose to RO2.12 billion by the end of 2024, compared to RO1.75 billion in 2018, representing a growth rate of 3.2 percent, according to the latest data released by the National Center for Statistics and Information.
The sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) rose to RO2.7 billion, compared to RO2.3 billion in 2018, reflecting the overall impact of tourism as an engine of growth.
Salim bin Mohammed al Mahrouqi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism (MHT), said that the positive indicators achieved by the tourism sector in 2024, such as the increase in visitors to the country, are the result of government policies supporting economic diversification, as well as integration with various government agencies, which has played a key role in creating an attractive investment and accelerating the pace of delivery of tourism projects.
He underlined the Ministry's commitment to adopting innovative promotional policies, expanding partnerships with the private sector, and developing tourism products and services to meet visitor aspirations and enhance the tourist experience.
Spending
Total spending on tourism in the Sultanate of Oman rose to RO1.02 billion in 2024, compared to RO960 million in 2018. Direct value added by the tourism grew by 5.3 percent, RO1.09 billion, compared to RO799.7 million in 2018, and it demonstrated the integration with sectors such as transportation, hospitality, retail, and culture.
Incoming visitors
The Sultanate of Oman received around 3.8 million visitors in 2024, of which 68.2 percent were overnight visitors and 31.8 percent were same-day visitors.
Total tourism spending by these visitors amounted to RO989 million, with an average per capita expenditure of RO253.8.
Need for facilitating travel between Gulf countries
The data showed that more than 55 percent of incoming visitors were residents of the United Arab Emirates, underscoring the importance of enhancing land connectivity and facilitating travel between Gulf countries.
International visitors
European visitors accounted for 16 percent of the total visitors, compared to Asian nationalities (13.2 percent), indicating the effectiveness of the promotional campaigns launched by the Ministry in cooperation with overseas offices.
Lesiure destination
As for reasons for coming to the Sultanate of Oman, Leisure topped the list with 70.2 percent, followed by visiting relatives and friends (17.9 percent), and shopping (5 percent).
The average length of stay ranged between 5 and 6 nights, with a total of 14.8 million tourist nights, confirming the ability of destinations in Oman to attract visitors for longer periods.
Regarding accommodation patterns, hotel establishments have witnessed a growth in demand, enhancing the feasibility of investing in tourism facilities, particularly in governorates witnessing development in the tourism infrastructure, such as Dhofar, Musandam, and Al Dakhiliyah.
The number of outgoing visitors was 8.1 million, spending a total of RO1.8 billion, with an average per capita expenditure of RO218.5. This reflects the volume of domestic spending on outbound tourism and opens the way for developing initiatives to enhance tourism.
