Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of ...

is a country on the

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...

. Tourism in Oman grew considerably during the 2000s, and a 2013 report predicted that it would become one of the largest industries in the nation. In 2019, Oman attracted about 4.1 million visitors from around the world, a massive increase from 3.1 million in 2017 as per the 2019 Tourism Statistic Bulletin from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), Oman. Oman has various tourist attractions, particularly within the realm of

cultural tourism Cultural tourism is a type of tourism activity in which the visitor's essential motivation is to learn, discover, experience and consume the tangible and intangible cultural attractions/products in a tourism destination. These attractions/produ ...

. Muscat was named the best city to visit in the world by American travel guide publisher

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History Early years Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 1972, they embark ...

in 2012, and was chosen as the Capital of Arab Tourism of 2012.

Visa

Visitors to Oman must obtain a visa prior to travel unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries. Citizens of member nations of the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf ( ar, مجلس التعاون لدول العربية الخليج ), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ar, مجلس التعاون الخليجي), is a regional, inter ...

may travel to

without visa limits. Nationals of 69 other countries can apply for visa online which are valid for a period of 30 days. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

Statistics

Excluding the GCC states, the countries with the greatest number of passport holders visiting Oman in 2013 were:

Nature based activities

Beach activities

Oman's coast is lined with many beaches, with resort hotels on the coast west and east of Muscat. Activities including sunbathing, swimming,

kitesurfing Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wak ...

, diving,

snorkeling Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters ...

, boating and water scooters, surfing, beach combing, shell collecting and fishing excursions.

Kitesurfing

The daily

sea breeze A sea breeze or onshore breeze is any wind that blows from a large body of water toward or onto a landmass; it develops due to differences in air pressure created by the differing heat capacities of water and dry land. As such, sea breezes a ...

effect gives rise to reliable kitesurfing conditions. Centres can be found in Muscat, Al Sawadi Beach, Alzaiba Beach and on

Masirah Island Masirah Island ( ar, جَزِيْرَة مَصِيْرَة, Jazīrat Maṣīrah), also referred to as Mazeira Island or ''Wilāyat Maṣīrah'' ( ar, وِلَايَة مَصِيْرَة), is an island off the east coast of mainland Oman in the ...

Desert safari

Camelback or four-wheel drive journeys into the

Wahiba Sands The Sharqiya Sands ( ar, ٱلرِّمَال ٱلشَّرْقِيَّة, Ar-Rimāl Ash-Sharqiyyah, formerly known as Wahiba Sands ( or )) is a region of desert in Oman, The region was named for the Bani Wahiba tribe.Alsharan, 615. Divided between t ...

and other desert areas are popular, sometimes incorporating stays in Barsti huts, barbecues, camel riding, sandboarding and visits to

Bedouin The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arabs, Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert ...

communities.

Caving

The

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

rich sedimentary deposits of Oman's mountains have led to cave formation in many places. In 2008, the Ministry of Tourism issued a plan to develop Majlis al Jinn, the world's second largest cave, as a

show cave A show cave—also called tourist cave, public cave, and, in the United States, commercial cave—is a cave which has been made accessible to the public for guided visits. Definition A show cave is a cave that has been made accessible to ...

, after their first show cave, Al Hoota Cave, attracted 75,000 visitors in the first year of operation. There are caves which can be accessed by amateurs, like Muqal Cave in Wadi Bani and Khalid in Ash Sharqiyah region, while others need considerable effort, training, experience and specialized equipment.

Historic and cultural locations

Markets

Omani souqs (markets) are popular with tourists, and are highly diverse with stalls selling handicrafts such as silver and gold artefacts and textiles. There are souqs in every Omani town, with the Ruwi and Muttrah Souqs the best known in Muscat.

Museums

Forts

Nearly every Omani city and town has a fort, most of which were built, or had major expansions, during the Al-Yarubi dynasty between 1624 and 1744. Their purpose was as a refuge for the people and a last line of defense for the town. Forts were prepared to withstand long sieges with water wells, food storing capacity and secret tunnels ending many kilometers away from the walls of the fort. In times of peace they served as centres of governance, educational establishments or community facilities.

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...

's International Heritage Preserve Programme Administration lists four elements of cultural significance in Oman.

Bahla Fort Bahla Fort ( ar, قلعة بهلاء; transliterated: Qal'at Bahla') is one of four historic fortresses situated at the foot of the Jebel Akhdar highlands in Oman and the country's only UNESCO-listed fort added in 1987. The fort underwent massi ...

Part of the capital of the Nabhani dynasty, who dominated Oman and prospered in the Arabian Peninsula during the late Middle Ages.

Archaeological Sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscapes ...

Remnants of settlements and necropolises from the 3rd millennium BCE. The necropolis of Bat reflects the funeral practices of the early Bronze Age.

Land of Frankincense The Land of Frankincense is a site in Oman on the Incense Road. The site includes frankincense trees, Khor Rori and the remains of a caravan oasis, which were crucial to the medieval incense trade. The site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage S ...

Various sites were important in the production and distribution of

frankincense Frankincense (also known as olibanum) is an aromatic resin used in incense and perfumes, obtained from trees of the genus '' Boswellia'' in the family Burseraceae. The word is from Old French ('high-quality incense'). There are several species ...

, which was once a sought-after item of luxury in antiquity, including the ancient ports of Khor Rori and Al-Baleed, and the caravan oases of Shisr and Wadi Dawkah

Falaj irrigation systems

Five

falaj A qanat or kārīz is a system for transporting water from an aquifer or water well to the surface, through an underground aqueduct; the system originated approximately 3,000 BC in what is now Iran. The function is essentially the same acros ...

s were inscribed in 2006 to represent an irrigation method dating back to at least 500 CE, and still used in most Omani towns and villages, that distributes water through gravity.

Cultural Events

Muscat Festival

The Muscat Festival is held annually in January and February. International exhibits and displays of traditional Omani lifestyle, art and culture are featured, with circus and street theatre productions also part of the event.

Salalah Festival

The Salalah Festival takes place in the months of July and August, when the area is cooler than elsewhere in the Gulf statesand is a family oriented event with cultural, traditional and modern artistic shows.

Cultural theatre program

The Ministry of Tourism organises a number of cultural evenings at the ancient Al Flayj Castle and Al Morooj theatres, hosting groups from around the world, from December to the end of March.

Sporting and adventure events

Horse and camel racing

From September to June,

equestrian The word equestrian is a reference to equestrianism, or horseback riding, derived from Latin ' and ', "horse". Horseback riding (or Riding in British English) Examples of this are: *Equestrian sports *Equestrian order, one of the upper classes in ...

races organised by the Oman Equestrian Federation are held in various towns. Public events are staged at the royal stables in Seeb, while most breeders and trainers are based in the Al Kamil/Al Wafi region. Long distance camel races are held on specially built race tracks, normally on public holidays and during National Day celebrations. As with horse races, camel races are arranged by the OEF, although some regions organize their own local races.

Dubai–Muscat offshore sailing race

The Dubai–Muscat regatta takes place every January. Boats set sail from Dubai, passing through the Straits of Hormuz before heading towards Muscat and ending at the Bandar Al-Rawdah Marina.

Sinbad Classic

An international deep sea fishing contest, the Sinbad Classic is one of the IGFA World Championships qualifying rounds and takes place each April.

Oman Adventure

A five day endurance race held annually in November, each team consists of a runner and a cyclist and must manage the preparation and coordination of their own food and water and other supplies.

Oman International Rally

The Oman International Rally held annually in March, is one of the events that constitute the

Middle East Rally Championship The Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) is a motor rally championship run under the auspicies of the FIA. First held in 1984 the championship encompasses a series of rallies held across Western Asia. The championship has featured long-running eve ...

Bidiyah Challenge

A race to scale sand dunes held every February in Bidiya in Sharqiyah Region.

Tour of Oman

An annual professional

road bicycle racing Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most common ...

stage race held in

since 2010 as part of the

UCI Asia Tour The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...

. Its stated goals are to promote cycling as a sport in Oman; to put Oman on the world stage as an attractive tourist destination; and stimulate trade and economic activity within the country.

Gallery

File:AlAlamMuscatPalace.jpg, Al Alam Palace, Muscat File:AlKhuwairMinistries.jpg, Al Khuwair - The two Khanjar's (left of image) mark the entrance to the Ministries Street which houses all the Ministries of Oman File:Muttrah Souq.jpg, Muttrah Souq File:DhowMuscat.jpg, Muscat Harbor - A traditional Omani Dhow lies anchored in the Muscat Harbor (World's largest natural harbor) File:MscatPort-SultanYach.jpg, Muscat Port - The Sultan's Yacht can be seen anchored at the Port. File:MUTRAHCORNICHE2.jpg, Mutrah Corniche File:MutrahMorning.jpg, Mutrah Corniche File:MuscatFortNight.jpg, The Muscat Fort (Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century) overlooks the Muscat harbor, Mutrah and the Al Alam Palace File:MuscatRiyamParkAtnight.JPG, Riyam Park - as seen in Amazing Race 9 - is very near to the Muscat Harbor File:MutrahDecor.JPG, The Mutrah Corniche was renovated to undo the destruction done by

Cyclone Gonu Super Cyclonic Storm Gonu was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that became the strongest cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea. The second named tropical cyclone of the 2007 North Indian Ocean cyclone season, Gonu developed from a persis ...

File:MuscatClockTower.jpg, Muscat Clock Tower, MBD, Ruwi - It’s the oldest Monument in Modern Oman and showcases the Sultanate’s commitment to modernization File:MuscatBeachs.jpg, Beaches of Oman along with its cliffs attracts tourists from all over the world File:QantabBeach.JPG, Qantab Beach File:ShattiBeachMuscat2.JPG, Qurum Beach - Crowne Plaza Muscat can be seen in the distance (on the cliff-top) File:MuscatRoadGate.jpg, Muscat Municipality works continuously to beautify the city. Such gates dot roads around Muscat and showcase the traditional roots of the Sultanate File:MUSCATYACHTCLUB.jpg, Muscat Boat Club File:RuwiEvening.jpg, Ruwi - The Commercial hub of Muscat includes a massive marketplace - The Ruwi High Street File:Wadi Tiwi (4).jpg, Wadi Tiwi File:Dolphins Oman.JPG, Watching spinner dolphins in the

Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا� ...

References

Articles

Vogue magazine chooses Oman as 2008 top destinationOman shines as hottest new destinationBritish media shower praises on Oman’s immaculate beautyDiscover Oman: One Land, One Breathtaking Journey Authentic ArabiaThe beginner’s guide to OmanMuscat to Host World Fireworks Championship in December

External links

General

Oman Tourism Portal

Ministry of Information - Tourism Section

Bradt Guide - Oman

Muscat International Airport

Muscat Travel Portal

Oman Air

Oman Tourism and Hospitality Academy

Geological Society of Oman

Oman Center for Traditional Music

Oman World Fireworks Championship 2010

Kiteboarding Oman - First certified kiteboarding centre in the Gulf region

Oman History, Culture & Tourism

Collection of Oman travel and tourism information

Visitors impressions

Oman flickr images
{{Tourism in Asia