Muscat – To improve lodging facilities in the tourism sector in South Batinah, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is overseeing development of eight guesthouses in the governorate.

Dr Al Mutasem  Nasser al Hilali, Director of the Heritage and Tourism Department in South Batinah, said that the ministry is encouraging citizens to invest in heritage and green guesthouses as part of its efforts to add value to the tourism sector in the sultanate.  

He added that the eight guesthouses constitute 21.6 per cent of the total accommodation available to tourists being implemented in the governorate.

Of the eight, four are in the wilayat of Barka, three in Nakhal and one in Rustaq.

According to Hilali, currently there are 21 guesthouses in the governorate.

The ministry issues licences to encourage Omani investors set up medium and small projects – such as guesthouses – to boost the tourism sector.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning (MHUP) has also allocated three sites for establishment of waterfront projects in the governorate as part of its efforts to stimulate the economy and attract investments.

An official at MHUP stated that the ministry has marked a number of investment sites to support development projects in the governorate. “These include the construction of three waterfront projects, of which two – spread over 10,990sqm and 222,441sqm – are in the wilayat of Barka, while the third will be in Mussanah on an area of 180,425sqm.”