Thousands flock to tourist spots in Oman during last days of Eid holiday

Muscat: Thousands of visitors flocked to Oman’s tourist destinations during the Eid-Al-Fitr holiday, according to data released by the Ministry of Tourism.
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The number of visitors to Wadi Bani Khalid swelled to 2,726 on June 29 before tapering off to around 1,800 visitors the next day. “It was full. It was hard to park the cars, and it was filled with people,” Indian expat Dilip, who visited he place during Eid holidays, said.
Wadi Bani Khalid is about 203 kilometres from Muscat and is the best-known wadi of the Sharqiyah region. “Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year and that is one of the reasons it attracts tourists all year round,” Dilip said.
On June 29, the Ministry of Tourism reported that 27,654 tourists had visited Dhofar to enjoy the Khareef season, compared with 10,604 visitors during the same period last year. “We were delighted to come to Salalah during Eid as we saw rain,” Monoj, an Indian expat, said.
During the Khareef season, Salalah turns green and its temperature drops considerably.
Nizwa Fort reported 237 visitors on Friday, June 30, compared with 644 visitors on June 29.
The number of visitors coming to Jebal Akhdar touched 5,470 on June 29, compared with almost 4,000 reported on June 28. On June 29, 270 guests visited the Turtle Conservation located in Ras Al Hadd, where the turtle nesting season is going on in full swing.
The Dibba Port in the Musandam province reported 141 visitors on June 30. In the transportation field, more than 24,000 passengers were transported by Mwasalat on the first day of Eid.
Public transportation company Mwasalat had announced that it transported over 24,000 passengers in the internal lines through Muscat on the first day of Eid-Al-Fitr.
The firm also recently announced an increase in the number of trips on the Muscat-Salalah route, from three trips to four.
The increase will apply for the duration of the Salalah Tourism Festival 2017.
Thousands of nationals and residents, especially visitors from neighbouring countries, thronged to Oman, according to hoteliers.
A large number of nationals, as well as visitors visited the old forts, valleys and dams and water springs during the holidays.