Muscat- Oman’s tourism sector recorded strong growth in 2025, driven by increased investment and projects by the public and private sectors aimed at diversifying tourism products and experiences and improving the quality of services.

According to a report titled “The State of Tourism in the Sultanate of Oman” issued by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the total number of visitors to Oman reached 4 mn in 2025.

Inbound tourism expenditure exceeded RO 1 bn, with the average visitor staying 6.5 nights and spending RO 256.

The number of hotel guests also recorded significant growth, exceeding 5 mn in 2025, compared with 3.5 mn in 2018.

The report reviewed the tourism sector’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and analysed key tourism indicators from 2018 to 2025, highlighting the sector’s contribution to economic growth, job creation and economic stability.

The number of establishments operating in tourism-related activities exceeded 24,000 in 2025, representing an increase of more than 40% compared with 2020.

Muscat accounted for the largest share, with 43.5% of all tourism-related establishments, followed by Dhofar with 17.5% and North Al Batinah with 11%.

The sector employed more than 182,000 workers in 2025, including around 32,000 Omanis, up from approximately 28,000 in 2024 and 25,000 in 2023.

Tourism has been a targeted economic sector since the Ninth Five-Year Plan (2016–2020). The Tenth Five-Year Plan placed greater emphasis on increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP, while the Eleventh Five-Year Plan focuses on strengthening the sector’s competitiveness and enhancing its contribution to economic growth.

Oman Vision 2040 targets increasing tourism’s contribution to GDP to 3.5% by 2030 and 5.3% by 2040.

The sector’s contribution to GDP at current prices rose to RO  1.135 bn in 2025, marking a 37.6% increase from RO 825 mn in 2018.

The direct value added by tourism activities reached approximately RO  1.107 bn in 2025. The hotel sector accounted for OMR252.1 million, followed by travel agencies and other booking services at RO  242.7 mn, restaurants at RO 198.8 mn and transportation at RO 196.5 mn.

Cultural activities contributed RO  18.8 mn, while other tourism-related activities accounted for RO  197.9 mn.

Investment in tourism-related activities has also increased over the past five years, particularly in the hotel sector.

By the end of 2025, Oman had approximately 1,475 hotels, representing an increase of more than 1,000 compared with 2018.RO  259 mn in 2018.

Hotel revenues fell sharply to RO 102  mn  during the COVID-19 pandemic but began recovering in 2022, reaching RO 224 mn The recovery continued, with revenues rising to RO  276 mn in 2023 and  RO 293 mn in 2024 before reaching RO 359 mn in 2025.