More than 257,000 visit Dhofar during Khareef

The number of visitors to the Governorate of Dhofar stood at 257,554 from
the start of the Khareef (monsoon) season on June 21 to August 17
It's worth mentioning that the Khareef Salalah 2009 Survey being implemented
by the National Economy Ministry in conjunction with the Tourism Ministry and
Royal Oman Police aims at availing data that reflects the tourism status in
the governorate during the Khareef season to further develop the tourism
sector in the governorate .

www.omantourism.gov.om

Hilltop Nakhal Fort attracts tourists

Nakhal Fort is the first tourist spot on the way to the wilayat of Nakhal. This fort can be observed from far away due to its location on a 70-metre hill.
Nakhal Fort is unique for its high position, solid building and huge exterior. The fort also includes number of towers, particularly the Eastern Tower which is also called the Wind Tower, the Middle Tower and the Western Tower. Two water wells are also available in this prestigious fort.
Nakhal Fort was built before the Islamic era and was rebuilt by Imam Al Sult Bin Malek Al Kharousi. It was rebuilt in many stages and the final one was in 1990 after which tourists have been enjoying their visit to the fort as they enter through its huge antique gate.
As tourists reach the fort’s surface, their delight increases as they see the green palm tree oasis, old villages and mountain tops. The tourist guides in the fort provide visitors with all information related to the fort, its defensive features and its historical events.
Nakhal Souq is located near the fascinating fort. Many foreign tourists are keen to watch the traditional methods of selling and purchasing in the souq.
Tourists can enjoy their drive in the 2-kilometre-long road that leads to the stream, Ein Al Thowara, passing through palm tree gardens.
Ein Al Thowara attracts a large number of tourists. The water of the stream flows from under the rocks of Al Hajar Al Garbi Mountains which lead to the green areas around the site.
The continuous flow of the stream and its carving in the rocks leads to the formation of the central source of the stream which is called Al Kharas. warm water gathers in this place and then drops into a small waterfall, Wadi Al Hmmam. Ein Al Thowara is the main source for Kabah Falaj, which is the biggest valley in Nakhal as well as Al Ghareed Falaj.
The tourism site is equipped with all facilities necessary for tourists like wooden sunshades, chairs, car parks, bathrooms, children’s games and cafeteria.
Al Sheeba Mountain is the most famous mountain in Nakhal. It is 700 metres high from the sea level and several kilometres long. Nakhal mountains form a natural connection with the wilayat of Sumail. To cap it all, there is a passage through the mountains that has existed since ancient times and which leads to the wilayat of Sumail. All these facts together make Nakhal town one of the important tourist destinations.

Oman Tribune

Increased passenger traffic at Muscat, Salalah airports

The number of arrival and departure passengers through Muscat International Airport has increased by 6 per cent up to July
of the current year compared to the same period of the year 2008. Statistics shows an increase in the arrival passengers by 4 per cent to 1,000,431 passengers ending in July 2009 comparing to 963,282 passengers for the same period of the year 2008. The number of departing passengers has also increased by 8 per cent to 977,560 passengers ending in July this year comparing to 907,113 passengers for the same period of the year 2008.
The increase in arrival and departure traffic into Muscat International Airport is attributed to the increase of the number of flights to most of the airlines operating into Muscat. The total passenger traffic (including transit and transfer passengers through Muscat International Airport has increased by 8 per cent to 2,545,525 passengers for the period ending in July 2009 compared to 2,350,467 passengers for the same period of 2008. In terms of air cargo traffic at Muscat International airport, Aviation Statistics indicate a decline in the total unloaded and loaded freight by 1 per cent, with total shipment (33,514 tonnes) compared to (33,696 tonnes) in the same period in 2008.
Salalah Airport has witnessed a marginal increase in the total number of arriving and departing passengers to 239,445 passengers for the period ending in July in 2009 compared to 234,432 passengers for the same period of 2008. As for the movement of air cargo at Salalah Airport, freight traffic has recorded 10 per cent rise in total unloaded and loaded freight, bringing the shipment to 744 tonnes till July 2009 compared to (674 tonnes) in the same-period in 2008.

www.omanobserver.com

Oman Air to launch German operations in September

Oman Air will launch its first non-stop flights from Germany next month. Starting September, scheduled flights from Frankfurt will start their operation four times a week. Starting October, Oman Air will launch three weekly flights between Munich and Muscat.
The PR activities for Oman Air in Germany, Austria and Switzerland will be handled by Munich-based PR agency Combo Communications GmbH. PR agencies in France and the UK have also been appointed.
Peter Hill, CEO of Oman Air, said: “We are happy to work together with Combo Communications in Germany as the team has decades of know-how and experience in PR and media relations for national and international airlines.”
Oman Air also has major international expansion plans: Starting October, Oman Air is launching new routes from Muscat to Paris, to Maldives and to Colombo, Sri Lanka. Furthermore, a worldwide brand campaign for Oman Air is scheduled to commence at the same time.
Yvonne Molek, managing director of Combo Communications, said: “We are very proud to be in charge of the PR activities for Oman Air in German-speaking Europe. Oman Air has enormous expansion plans and one of our targets is to position Oman Air as premium brand in Germany.”
The PR activities of Combo Communications will be handled by senior PR consultant Julia Pawelczyk and PR consultant Roberto La Pietra in Munich as well as PR coordinator Dishna Schwarz, based in Frankfurt.

Times of Oman

Portal for Salalah visitors launched

The new-look, interactive website, www.salalahvisitors.com, is based on a dynamic new design with a set of comprehensive information about Dhofar, its projects and e-services.
The portal provides a wide variety of information to the visitors regarding hotels, restaurants, car rental companies and other services. It also offers users the freedom to choose and make flights bookings through cooperation with a global company for bookings.
In addition, the site will provide necessary techniques and the provision of transactions and prices for various services and packages to Salalah through negotiation with the companies operating in the province and made available through the new site.
Salalah Visitors Portal is sponsored by Dhofar Municipality and the Ministry of Tourism .

source : timesofoman.com

Aflaj, spas and forts adorn Wilayat of Ibri

The wilayat of Ibri is known for its strategic location in the Sultanate.
This is because it connects the other parts of the Arabian Penninsula through the Empty Quarter Desert.
Ibri’s neighbours in the northern part are the wilayats of Saham and Rustaq in the Batinah region, while the wilayats of Yanqul, Dhank and Buraimi lie to the north-west and to the south lies the Wilayat of Adam in the Dakhiliyah region and Haima in the Wusta region. Saudi Arabia, the Empty Quarter and the United Arab Emirates lie to the west.
In the early days, trading caravans used to pass through this place, as several major land routes linked the Sultanate with the other Gulf states. The wilayat got its name - Ibri - from the Arabic root ‘a-b-r’, which conveys the connotation of ‘crossing’ or ‘traversing’.
The Wilayat of Ibri is also known for its ancient sites, including forts and towers as well as the Ruinsa Bat - the second Omani site to be listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site after Bahla Fort in the Dakhiliyah region. Bat lies in the eastern part of the wilayat.

One of the most important towers in the wilayat is Burj Al Shari’ah - a sentry tower.
The citadel of Al Sulaif was built by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Yarubi. It consists of many buildings, including houses and a mosque, and has an outer wall with several high towers. It also has a well and a falaj flows beneath it.
Other tourist attractions in the Wilayat of Ibri include a number of springs and afalaj. In the village of Muqniyat lies Al Haidith spring and, surrounded by date and mango groves, Al Jinah spring. Afalaj include Falaj Al Mafjoor in Ibri, as well as the Afalaj of Al Mab’ooth, al Iraqi, Al Ainayn, Al Dareez and Al Qurwan.
Another tourist landmark is the village of Dhamm in Wadi Al Ain, which is a popular picnic spot for Omanis and residents, particularly in rainy season, when the rain water cascade down in the form of waterfalls from Jabel Al Kawr and Al Jabel Al Akhdhar. Al Dareez Fort - a major defensive fort - has two towers and several gates.
Other places of interest include Al Ghabbi Fort another ancient building with several towers - Al Ainay Fort, Al Sulaimi Fort and Bait Al Sarooj. Bait al Sarooj is an old house, not a fort. The Wilayat of Ibri has numerous traditional arts, crafts and occupation. The main occupations are grazing, stock-rearing, weaving and agriculture. The wilayat’s major crops include fruits (particularly dates and citrus fruits), wheat, vegetables and animal fodders.
The Wilayat of Ibri has received a good share of the development projects implemented during the Blessed Renaissance under the wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said.

source : omantribune.com

Passenger Traffic up at Oman Airports during 1st Half of 2009

Traffic through Muscat International Airport

is expected to increase, the growth in

passenger numbersis being driven by a number

of factors including fleet and routeexpansion by

the national carrier Oman Air, the increase in

capacity and frequency by existing carriers,

the growth and development of the tourism and

economical activity in Oman.
The following airlines have increased or will increase

their flights to Muscat International Airport effective

from the summer schedule of 2009, Oman Air, Air India

Express, Gulf Air, KLM, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, Shaheen Air and

Turkish Airlines.

The total number of passengers at Muscat International Airport has increased

by 7% to 2,110,890 passengers during the first half of 2009 from 1,966,977 passengers

for the same period last year.The number of arriving passengers excluding transfers

hasincreased by 4% to 826,349 passengers during the first half of 2009 from

797,544 passengers for the same period last year.

The number of departing passengers excluding transfers has increased

by 9%to 826,457 passengers during the first half of 2009 from 760,692

passengers for the same period last year.

The number of civil aircraft movements at Muscat International Airport has

increased by 13% to 25,457 aircraft movements for the first half of 2009 from

22,438 movements for the same period last year.

The total passenger traffic at Salalah Airport has increased by 2% to 194,311

passengersduring the first half of 2009 from 190,028 passengers during the

same period last year.

The number of civil aircraft movements at Salalah Airport has increased by

15% to 1,772 aircraft movements for the first half of 2009 from 1,542 movements

for the same period last year.

source : OAMC

Salalah tourism festival gets off to a spectacular start

Salalah Tourism Festival 2009 got off to a spectacular start yesterday under the patronage of Sayyid Hamoud bin Faisal Al Busaidi, minister of environment and climate affairs, and in the presence of Mohammed bin Marhoon Al Ma’amri, minister of state and governor of Dhofar.

Most of the festival’s events are taking place in Etine, in the Municipal Recreational Centre, organised by Dhofar Municipality. The Municipal Recreational Centre has been constructed specifically to be the headquarters of a majority of the festival’s activities. During the festival, the centre will host the assorted events, which will include more than 500 activities. Besides, a special tent for ice-skating and motorbike performances by Canadian teams have been introduced for the first time. Five theatres at the Municipality Recreational Centre, throughout the festival days, will be hosting electronic games, manual games, magic games, marketing as well as cultural activities. Salalah always witnesses record footfall at this time of the year, organisers appear confident that last year’s record numbers will be surpassed. Come, be part of this event.

http://timesofoman.com/echoice.asp?detail=26399&rand=WfPlIds0Mvc6wNCu7eHnUI8rMf

Turtle conservation top priority in Oman

Oman is home to several type of turtles. The Green turtle, Loggerhead, Olive Ridley and Hawksbill all return year after year to fill sandy nests with hundreds of eggs. The country also boasts 500 species of birds and 930 species of fishes, including 13 types of whales and dolphins. The Sultanate’s eastern Sharqiyah region endowed with a spectacular coast steeped in antiquity is abuzz with the annual fertility rite of Green turtles.
Sharqiyah region is known for the densest population of Greenback turtles. Ras Al Hadd offers hundreds of most significant locations for turtle watching. Situated at about 400 km southeast of Muscat and not far from the ancient dhow-building port of Sur, this stunning bay is nested in by Green turtles all year round in numbers greater than anywhere else in the Indian Ocean.
Experts say generally speaking the turtle tracking experiences of visitors in Oman are incredibly exciting. The vision of an adult female turtle hauling herself from the ocean to lay eggs in golden sands, as this prehistoric species has done for millennia, is a breathtaking one. Dr Anesh Govender, associate professor, Department of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, Sultan Qaboos University, recently delivered a talk on “Tagging nesting sea turtles (Loggerheads and Leatherbacks) for over 40 years in South Africa”.

www.rasaljinz.org

Dhalkut, a must visit place in Dhofar

The Wilayat of Dhalkut situated on the farthest costal strip in Dhofar governorate is one of the border crossings to Yemen. With the increasing availability of rain water in the autumn season and the trees remaining green in the hills verging on the coasts for more than six months, it’s generally believed that the autumn in Dhofar begins and ends in the Wilayat of Dhalkut. The wilayat is famous for its crowded and long trees especially the big-trunk Hirim Zairi. These trees are seen on the left side of the road before reaching the wilayat.Beautiful shores stretching out from the Wilayat of Rakhyut to the farthest border regions are another attraction of Dhalkut. Towards the end of the autumn winds, small skiffs take passengers from Dhalkut port for a trip off these shores spreading over 35 kilometres near winding hills. While sailing past the tranquil inlets, it is an exciting experience to see the luxuriance of the mountains in harmony with the wild beauty of the sea. These shores are also the habitat of some rare types of seabirds and migratory birds such as Aqaq.The four-kilometre shore situated on the heart of the wilayat and famous for sun rising and setting scenes is accessible through roads. Some tourists prefer walking in order to enjoy the feat of colours on the sky. Streams like Hazfut, Dhala’a, Sarfit, Zino and Quhud are the other attractive tourist destinations in the wilayat.
Oman Tribune

Oman Air Enhances Its SMS Solution

Oman Air’s SMS Service is very easy to use. As an example, a customer who would like to check seat availability on a flight from Muscat to Salalah on the 09 July 2009 would send SA MCT SLL 0907 to the code 90910.
To find out the flight cost for the same date, the fare enquiry message would be FE MCT SLL 0907.
The service can even be accessed when travelling outside the Sultanate where international roaming rates would apply.

Pictures : New Muscat airport

These are some pictures of the airport
in Muscat .

Foreign embassies inOman

Country Phone
Bahrain 24605133 / 24605074
China 24696782/24696698
Egypt 24600982 /24600411
France 24681800/24681804
Germany 24832482/24832164
India 247717503
Iran 24601791 / 24601744
Italy 24693151/24695223
Japan 2469137 / 24601028
Jordan 24692760/24692761
Kuwait 24699626 / 24699627
Morocco 24696152/24696153
Qatar 24691154 / 24691153
Russia 24602894
Saudi Arabia 24601791 / 24601744
Spain 24691101
UAE 24400000
UK 24609261/24609247
USA 24643400

Salalah Festival 2009 survey to begin next week

SALALAH — The Salalah Festival 2009 survey, being implemented by the National Economy Ministry in collaboration with the Tourism Ministry and the Royal Oman Police, will begin on Sunday next week. The survey of visitors upon the advent of Khareef (monsoon) season in the Governorate of Dhofar, from June 21 to September 21, aims to provide data and information that reflect tourist activities in the governorate during the Khareef season. The survey will provide details about visitors to the governorate from the Sultanate and abroad during the monsoon season. It will help showing demographic and economic features of visitors. It will also show other aspects that will help in studying preferences among visitors, their spending trends and their general impression about staying in the governorate. The number of visitors to the governorate during Khareef season last year stood at 450,511, posting an increase of 24 per cent compared to 2007 figures. — ONA
source: www.omanobserver.com

Win A Trip to Oman

Visit Oman's ministry of tourism website to join the competition .
This website has alot of information for visitors and tourist .

www.omantourism.gov.om

Good luck