NI OMAN TENA - QABOOS ANAJITAHIDI JAMANI!

Oman voted Favourite Road-Trip Destination of the world!

MUSCAT: The Sultanate, represented by the Ministry of Tourism, won the “Favourite Road-Trip Destination” award at the Conte Nast Traveller Middle East Readers’ Choice Awards — the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s premier travel industry awards as voted for by the readers of the magazine. The ceremony was held at the JW Marriot Marquis in Dubai. Chosen as the “Favourite Road-Trip Destination” is no surprise as the Sultanate is bestowed with many natural locations, offering combined experiences of both beaches and deserts, mountains and wadis, as well as greenery in other parts of the country.

Such unique balance and variety of choices continue to help the Sultanate to be chosen as a popular tourism destination among travellers and holiday-makers around the world seeking for an ideal and well-spent vacation anywhere in the Arab Gulf region. The award is a result of the continuous efforts of the Ministry of Tourism to promote the Sultanate in this area. The 2018/2019 edition of the annual Readers’ Choice Awards was the culmination of a six-month voting process in which readers and consumers of the brand in the Gulf have been selecting their top choices from a host of categories including destinations, hotels, airlines, airports, cruises and travel organisations.

Asma al Hajriyah, Assistant Director General for International Tourism Promotions at the Ministry of Tourism, said: “We are extremely proud to have received this award at such an esteemed event highlighting the Sultanate as a “Favourite Road-Trip Destination” especially along with beautiful destinations including Italy and the United States of America sharing the category. This award reflects that our efforts to promote the Sultanate as a popular tourist destination that’s just a few hours away ready to be discovered are being successful.


“Looking ahead to the future, we must build on this success and work hard in continuing to promote Oman as a destination for all to discover and experience.” The ministry’s efforts to promote the Sultanate as a regional and global hub for tourism are evident from the increase in number of tourists visiting the Sultanate. From participating in international events and travel fairs to introducing campaigns and initiatives like the new e-visa system, which allows millions of tourists visiting the country to apply for online visa and facilitate travel, the surge in popularity is set to accelerate the processing and approval of visas and ultimately attract more visitors every year. — ONA