Oman’s tourism sector saw a significant 21.6 percent increase in airport passenger traffic by the end of January 2024. The sector also witnessed remarkable growth in 2023, with a record-breaking 4 million visitors. This surge aligns with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism’s ambitious goal to attract 11 million tourists annually by 2040, as part of the broader Oman Vision 2040 objectives.
Record airport traffic
Comparative data from the National Center for Statistics and Information shows passenger numbers rose from 1,165,556 at the end of January 2023 to 1,417,442 in January 2024.
Muscat International Airport saw a notable 22.7 percent surge, serving over 1.29 million passengers on 8,756 international and domestic flights. That is a 16 percent increase compared to 2023. Indian travelers led the arrivals with 86,234 passengers and departures with 82,807 passengers. Following closely came Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Salalah Airport also reported a 14 percent increase in passenger numbers, totaling 120,506, further supporting Oman’s tourism sector. Moreover, the airport reported a 4.5 percent increase in flights. International and domestic flights through the airport served 58,657 and 61,849 passengers, respectively.
Read: Sharjah welcomes over 400,000 European visitors in 2023
Oman’s hospitality sector
Oman’s tourism sector also saw a positive trend in hospitality. The revenues from 3- to 5-star hotels totaled OMR24.75 million by the end of January 2024, marking a 17.1 percent increase compared to 2023. Moreover, the total number of hotel guests surged by 20.5 percent to 215,660, with an occupancy rate growth of 16.2 percent.
Omanis made up the majority of hotel guests with 75,219 guests. Following closely came Europeans with 73,325 guests and Asians with 27,191 guests. The number of European guests saw a 17.9 percent increase while the number of Asian visitors saw a 17.9 percent increase.
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