Salalah – The number of visitors from June 21 to July 31  to experience the khareef season in Dhofar stood at 396,108, up 12.8% compared to the corresponding period in 2022, according to National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) data. 

NCSI compiles visitor numbers in three categories – citizens, GCC visitors and tourists belonging to other nationalities.

According to the NCSI data, the number of Omani visitors this khareef increased 13% to 296,135.

A total of 59,555 visitors from other GCC states arrived this season, compared to 52,807 during the corresponding period in 2022.

The number of visitors belonging to other nationalities rose from 35,874 to 40,418 this season.

The NCSI data indicates that 305,350 visitors arrived via land checkpoints, while the number of air travellers who arrived in Dhofar was 90,758, registering an increase of 16% over the figures of this segment last year.

Monthly distribution of tourists for khareef shows 95% of the arrivals in Dhofar in July (375,362), compared to 20,746 between June 21 and 30.