Thrifty Oman gears up for leisure and business visitors to Salalah

For years, Salalah has been an oasis for GCC residents to escape to during the scorching summer months, in particular during the Khareef festival, named after the monsoon winds that sweep across Dhofar from July to September, resulting in a lush, green landscape.

During the festival, Oman experiences a higher visitor influx from across the Middle East.

Salalah, also recognized as the perfume capital of Arabia for its Frankincense Trail, has been a haven for travel and tourism operators since the government began promoting it as a tourist destination 10 years ago. Apart from its scenic attractions, Salalah has a rich, natural history, with many areas listed as World Heritage sites by UNESCO.

In light of Salalah's recent development, Mehdi Jaffer, Deputy Managing Director, Thrifty Car Rental, believes that the city will attract an increased number of business travelers in addition to the large number of tourists.

"Previously, Salalah was busy during the Khareef festival, but then quiet throughout the rest of the year. However, thanks to the numerous government backed developments, we have seen an increased interest in the city from oversees investors, many of whom rent cars from us during their visits,"

explained Jaffer.

"This is an ideal time for people to take a look at Salalah's industrial potential, for example, the ongoing development and expansion of the Salalah port will double its capacity over the next four years and facilitate the berthing and handling of large container vessels," continued Jaffer.

The Port of Salalah has reported an increase in handling capacity from 2.5 million TEU in 2006 to 4.5 million TEU Containers in 2008 and is ideally located for accessing the Middle East, the Indian Subcontinent, East Africa and the Indian Ocean, reaching out to over 2.5 billion consumers. The port's natural depth, which ranges from 16 -18 meters, makes it a popular attraction for investors with large liners.

The Salalah Free Zone, situated beside the port, is emerging as a center for heavy industries in the Middle East . The expansion of Salalah airport, targeting a capacity of 10 million passengers, is scheduled for completion in 2011. There is an enormous potential for real estate development with demand currently exceeding supply.

"We are confident in the government-supported development plans, and have adopted our business strategy in order to accommodate leisure and business travelers," continued Jaffer. "Last month, Thrifty Oman was awarded 'Best Growth in the Middle East' from the Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group MENA & Asia Pacific. This accolade is something we have achieved not only through our work with tourists, but also by working closely with start-up businesses and potential investors visiting Salalah and the rest of Oman. We are gearing up for exponential growth in the foreseeable future."