Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) is inviting international companies to establish a tourism representative office in China to attract Chinese travellers to the sultanate.

The move is part of the ministry’s comprehensive efforts to develop and revamp marketing plans and programmes aimed at promoting Oman’s tourism attractions through its global offices.

The primary goal of opening the office is to strengthen relations between local partners, including tourism companies and hotels, and their counterparts in the Chinese market, as highlighted by MHT. Interested parties have until August 1, 2023, to submit bids for consideration.

Recognising the resurgence of Chinese outbound tourism after a three-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Oman is proactively preparing to capitalise on the opportunity and cater to the needs of Chinese travellers. Chinese tourists curtailed international travel during the pandemic due to restrictions on their return home.

To equip partners in the Omani tourism sector to effectively engage with Chinese visitors and meet their specific requirements, MHT organised a workshop called ‘China Ready’ in September 2022. Emphasising the significance of the Chinese market, the ministry highlighted the growth in Chinese outbound travellers, which increased from approximately 57mn passengers in 2010 to 155mn in 2019.

‘Oman has witnessed remarkable growth in the number of Chinese tourists with a 141% increase from 44,580 in 2018 to 107,446 in 2019, making it the strongest growth of its kind,’ a statement said.

In May 2022, Visit Oman, the national travel and tourism operator, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Beijing Spring Travel Services, a leading Chinese travel and tourism operator. The MoU focuses on promoting Oman in the Chinese travel and tourism market, connecting service providers and customers through the Visit Oman platform to provide valuable services and invigorate the sector.

Oman’s tourism sector received a significant boost during the 2022/23 winter season with a notable increase in tourist numbers. In February, tourist arrivals reached 321,031, marking a 156.7% surge compared to the same period in 2022. The United Arab Emirates emerged as the largest source market of tourists to Oman in February with 36,896 visitors, followed by India (16,211), Germany (5,406), France (5,206), the UK (4,989), Yemen (4,958), China (1,412), and Italy (1,051).

MHT remains optimistic about the recovery of Oman’s tourism sector; various indicators signal positive growth in the country’s travel and tourism industry.