Saturday 22 / November / 2025
Muscat: The heritage and tourism sectors in the Sultanate of Oman achieved good results during the first nine months of 2025, confirming their pivotal role in supporting the economic diversification process and consolidating the Sultanate of Oman’s position as a sustainable cultural and tourism destination that combines authenticity and modernity.
The results reflect the success of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism in implementing its development plans and strengthening the partnership with the private sector in line with the objectives of “Oman Vision 2040”.
The direct added value of the tourism sector reached about OMR873 million, while the total tourism output reached about OMR1.99 billion, with tourism contributing 2.7 percent to the gross domestic product of the Sultanate of Oman, a percentage that reinforces the sector’s position as one of the pillars of the non-oil economy.
Government revenues collected from the activities of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism amounted to approximately OMR13.55 million by the end of September 2025, reflecting the efficiency of the financial management of tourism resources and the growing demand for the activities and services provided.
Hotel revenues rose to OMR293.4 million, an increase of 6.1 percent over the previous year, as a result of improved occupancy rates and a diversification of tourism programmes.
The total number of visitors arriving in the Sultanate of Oman reached 2.83 million by the end of the third quarter of 2025, a decrease of 2.4 percent compared to 2024, while the number of local visitors increased to 13.6 million visitors with a growth rate of 5.1 percent, which reflects the growing activity of domestic and seasonal tourism thanks to local events and festivals.
The number of hotel guests reached 4.6 million, an increase of 4.6 percent, which confirms the continued confidence of visitors in the tourism services and modern infrastructure provided by the Ministry in cooperation with its partners.
As part of the promotional efforts undertaken by the Ministry and in implementation of the annual marketing plan, it has opened new tourism representation offices in a number of important tourism markets, such as the Chinese, Russian and Spanish markets, and work is underway to open a tourism representation office that includes Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, bringing the number of tourism representation offices to 11 offices that carry out marketing campaigns in 25 countries with international tourism institutions in these markets, achieving direct economic returns amounting to more than OMR30 million.
As for foreign exhibitions, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism participated in more than 20 exhibitions and events abroad, which contributed to creating platforms that brought together Omani tourism institutions with their international counterparts.
The Sultanate of Oman’s pavilion also won awards for best design in the category of participating countries’ pavilions in a number of these exhibitions, for its design that combines authenticity and modernity, reflects the rich cultural identity of the Sultanate of Oman, and is distinguished by the use of modern technologies and digital screens that highlight heritage and tourism components and experiences.
The ministry continued its cooperation with international media organizations, most notably launching a television promotional campaign via CNN, where promotional films were broadcast on several channels and a digital advertisement was posted on the network’s website.
In the cruise ship and charter voyage sector, and as a result of the promotional programme dedicated to revitalising these types of tourism, the Ministry has begun implementing the outputs and initiatives of the study of the cruise ship and yacht sector with the relevant authorities to regulate the sector, develop the infrastructure in the ports designated to receive cruise ships, raise their efficiency and improve their facilities.
The number of charter flights for the 2024-2025 season reached approximately 588 flights, compared to 466 flights in the 2023-2024 season. The number of tourists reached 93,000 visitors from various target markets, with this sector achieving an economic return estimated at US$80 million, including accommodation fees, transportation, and tourist trips.
Promotional campaigns were also carried out through the group’s global platforms and presence in its various races to promote the Sultanate of Oman. A group of local tourism events was implemented in partnership with governmental and private entities, amounting to 30 events with economic returns estimated at OMR4 million.
In terms of hotel infrastructure and investments, the number of hotel establishments in the Sultanate of Oman reached 1,309 establishments, compared to 1,022 establishments last year, while the number of hotel rooms increased to 38,000 rooms, with a growth rate of 7.9 percent. Occupancy rates stabilized at 36.8 percent for all categories, while they reached 52.6 percent in hotels classified from three to five stars.
The year witnessed an expansion in accommodation projects, with 383 preliminary approvals issued for new projects, and work is underway on 114 projects expected to open during the years 2025-2027. The volume of investments in integrated tourism complexes exceeded OMR11.5 billion, which confirms the continued confidence of investors in the Omani market and the growing economic viability of the sector.
Regarding future plans, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism signed 36 concession contracts to implement tourism projects with a total value of OMR100 million during the period from January to September of 2025.
As for the workforce, the number of workers in the tourism sector reached 169,800 workers by the end of September 2025, including 27.8 percent in activities supervised by the Ministry, and the overall Omanisation rate rose to 10.9 percent compared to 10.1 percent last year.
In the field of heritage, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism continues its efforts to preserve historical sites and maintain the national heritage, as the number of registered historical and archaeological sites in the Sultanate of Oman has reached 3,655 sites, including castles, forts, mosques and heritage houses, and 1,328 sites have been restored until the end of the third quarter of this year.
The ministry is working on preparing a comprehensive file to include the archaeological sites of Basya and Salut in the World Heritage List, alongside the Omani sites currently registered.
At the regional level, the Sultanate of Oman recorded an advanced performance among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as the hotel occupancy rate in the Muscat Governorate reached 66.7 percent and in the Salalah State 56.7 percent during September 2025.
This is attributed to the natural appeal and environmental tranquility that characterize the tourism experience in the Sultanate of Oman compared to regional markets. The Ministry’s policy of diversifying tourism activities from adventure to heritage and environmental tourism has also contributed to enhancing competitiveness in Gulf and global markets.
