Indian tourists flocking to Oman, arrivals up 70% at 600k: Al Busaidi

Oman has emerged as a favourite destination for Indian tourists, with their number rising to more than 6 lakh last year, an increase of 70 per cent over the previous year, according to Azzan Qassim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Oman Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.

We hope to surpass the number this year, Al Busaidi told PTI in Mumbai on Thursday. The closeness and proximity between Oman and India makes one feel almost at home, he added. This momentum shows no signs of slowing, with the first five months of 2024 already seeing a 15 per cent increase in arrivals, he said. India is Oman's largest tourism market beyond the Gulf Co-operation Council countries, he said. Of the 40 lakh tourists who visited Oman last year, 6.25 lakh were from India, Al Busaidi said. Adventure tourism is a growing segment for tourists in Oman, he said. Tourism is one of the five focus areas for Oman as a part of its Vision 2040 plan, he added. We are now seeing more diversity in segments of ...