Al Marsa expands network of partners in UAE

Dubai-based Dirham Tours, Sharjah-based Al Khor Diving Centre and Fujairah's Rotana Resort & Spa - Al Aqah Beach have all signed partnership agreements with Al Marsa in the last month, which will result in significantly more numbers of international and local tourists discovering the picturesque beauty of the eastern Musandam region of Oman, located just 120kms from Dubai.

Tarek Khalil, General Manager, Al Marsa Travel & Tourism, explains that Musandam is increasingly sought after as the perfect alternative to the hustle and bustle of the Emirate's major cities.

"In the last 12 months we have witnessed a steady increase in the number of visitors to the Peninsula, which is the result of a combination of a proactive marketing campaign, an aggressive expansion programme in our partner network and the fact that the journey to Musandam from Dubai now takes only around an hour due to the new road system in place," said Khalil.

Al Marsa has been paving the way for the rise in tourists to the destination by offering flexible cruising/diving experiences that facilitate the exploration of some of the region's most exhilarating landscapes.

The company offers an extensive range of activities from leisurely to the more active including swimming, snorkelling, sea kayaking and scuba diving aboard a fleet of modern live-aboard Dhows.

Through Dirham Tours, a ground handling agency based out of Dubai and Ras Al-Khaimah, Al Marsa will have access to one of the biggest Russian tour Operators, Pegas Touristik, that owns 32 flight carriers - including Nord Wings and Oren Air, and deals with 17 major touristic countries around the world, including Egypt - Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada, Greece and Turkey, among many others.

The company is equipped to provide clients with an extensive range of travel services that include planning, hotels, arrival and resort assistance, and transfers, along with organising and operating exclusive excursions and safaris.

"Dirham Tours and Al Marsa have already started operating exclusive charters for Russian tourists using two dhows, two to three days a week," said Khalil.

In partnering with Al Khor Diving Centre, Al Marsa hopes to attract more leisurely divers to experience the clear Indian Ocean waters, teaming with sea life.

The company has also signed with Rotana Al Aqah Resort to start operating half day trips for guests on the dhows for closed and corporate accounts. Shorter, half day tours (1-4pm, including 1hour cruise to the Sanat - northern area of Dibba) will also be made available.

Guests will enjoy sun and beach, also with various activities that include swimming, snorkeling, fishing, sea kayaking and scuba diving - aboard a fleet of 4 luxury-purpose built fiberglass Dhows, and speedboats.

"Al Marsa continues to explore and expand the terrain of Musandam, offering more ways than one for visitors to enjoy the adventure," concluded Khalil.