Asia Pacific Media Services highlight Oman as one of the most appealing destinations

Usama Bin Karim Al Haremi of Oman Air's Corporate Communications and Media said that the strategies set by the government for boosting tourist arrivals from key source markets around the world continue aggressively, and The Asia-Pacific region is no exception.

He brought to notice a report featured in AsiaOne, which is an extremely popular news portal of the Singapore Press Holding (SPH) suite of newspapers.

"First featured in Vietnam News and Asia News Network (ANN), a network of national daily newspapers published in Asian cities, the report titled 'Oman offers rich culture to attract high-end tourism' was later carried in AsiaOne, which is Singapore's leading news, lifestyle and business portal. AsiaOne connects marketers to a desirable demographic that represents the cream of online audiences," Al Haremi informed.

"As the subsidiary a leading publisher in Singapore with 160 years of publishing experience, AsiaOne is seen as a value-added and dynamic information website, bringing trusted news and information online. AsiaOne homepage and its various micro sites enjoy 100 million page views from 6 million unique visitors every month," he added.

Le Hung Vong starts his report saying, to middle-income Vietnamese, travelling to the Arabian Gulf is as likely as laying their hands on Aladdin's lamp. Even for those who do get an opportunity to travel to the Middle East, Oman is an unlikely destination. But the Sultanate, a member of the Gulf Co-operation Council, has some unexpected tourist gems. With its towering minarets, white marble courtyard, beautiful prayer mat and stunning chandeliers, the Grand Mosque, located on the road from central Muscat to the international airport, is a remarkable architectural achievement.

Set against a dramatic mountain backdrop, the 416,000sq.m mosque was built by Sultan Qaboos bin Said as a gift to the people to mark 13 years of his reign in 2001. It took six years to build.

The interior of the main prayer hall is lined with white and deep grey marble. The stone is carved into elegant, base-relief columns rimmed with arches, each of which encloses a richly-patterned mural of inlaid faience (glazed earthenware) and forms part of an integrated design. The floor of the prayer hall is overlaid with a magnificent Persian carpet measuring more than 60x70m.

Handmade in 28 colours by 600 artisans, the carpet was made using 1.7 billion knots and weighs 21 tonnes. Thirty five chandeliers made of Swarovski crystal and gilded metal were especially designed and created for the main prayer hall. The central chandelier, suspended from the top of the 50m high central dome, measures 14m across. Comprising 1,122 lamps and weighing eight tonnes, it found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as 'the largest chandelier ever made'.

Sultan Qaboos, who replaced his father and became ruler of Oman in 1970 said, "The Mosque is not only a place for worship but a grand school, a distinguished and leading light in the spread of learning and culture."

Al Haremi noted that the efforts by the Ministries of Tourism and Culture and Heritage together have made Oman a must-see destination.

"The pro-active measures of the Ministry of Tourism through its participation in international road shows and exhibitions promoting Oman as the must-see destination have borne fruits. The governmental initiatives in ensuring world-class infrastructural facilities along with the refurbishing, renovation, beautification and maintenance of city landmarks, forts, castles and other structures have made Oman a tourist's delight." Haremi said.

The writer notes in his report that Nizwa, has one of the oldest mosques in Oman. A verdant oasis city with a blend of the modern and ancient, was the capital of Oman in the sixth and seventh centuries. Located some 175km from Muscat, Nizwa was an important cross-roads at the base of the Western Hajar Mountains connecting Muscat, Buraimi, and the lower reaches of Dhofar.

The city, famous for its historical monuments, handicrafts and agricultural products, has an enormous souq (from Arabic for market) with a wonderful array of handicrafts - coffee pots, swords, leather goods, silverware, antiques, and household utensils. Nizwa Fort, built in the 1650's, was the seat of power under the Al Ya'ruba Dynasty and is Oman's most visited national monument. The mosque here is one of the oldest in Oman.

The sound of the mosque's muezzin calling the faithful to prayer fills the air. Unique in scale in Omani architecture, the fort is filled with earth and stones to a level of 15 metres and capped by a platform with ports from which 23 cannons can be fired in a 360-degree radius. State-of-the-art for its time, Nizwa fort was laced with ingenious traps. To catch invaders off guard, stairs were interrupted by deep, gaping pits over which planks were laid - to be quickly removed when the intruder alarm was raised.

The writer also brings to light the various tour companies that offer camping facilities in the open desert areas. Desert discovery offers travellers an opportunity to stay in comfortable permanent resting camps set in dramatic surroundings in the Wahibah Sands desert, one of the oldest in the world, with rolling dunes reaching up to 100 metres and shifting sands that change colour magnificently. This is the traditional home of the Bedouin, hardy, spirited people who are expert at surviving in these harsh conditions.

Visitors to the Al-Areesh Desert Camp in the Wahibah Sands, some 150km to the east of Muscat, can experience the thrill of dune driving, or simply explore the desert with a ride on a camel and a visit to the local Bedouin. This vast area promises days filled with activity and night-drives that reveal desert life concealed during the day. During the evening, travellers can enjoy a campfire with performances by Bedouin musicians, dancers and singers.

The writer mentioned in his report that the Omani Government is planning to diversify the economy to reduce its dependence on oil, and tourism plays a central role in this strategy.

"Safety, a rich and diverse culture, and nature are the major attractions Oman offers tourists. Oman is very clean," he quoted an Omani official as saying.

Oman targets getting 1.5% of its total revenues from tourism by 2010 and not less than 3% by 2020, he says. To achieve these goals, it plans to double the number of hotel rooms from the current 8,000 to 16,000 by 2010. But this Islamic nation is not looking for people travelling on the cheap. Oman is not looking for back-packers; they are looking for high quality, high-class tourism.

"For a nation that bans casinos and massage parlours, it might be the wise course to adopt," the writer believed.

Al Haremi also brought to light that The Vietnam News daily, which carried the report initially, is Vietnam's major English language daily newspaper. "Published seven days a week, the popular Newspaper has 32-pages full of interesting contents," Al Haremi concluded saying.