TOURISM in the Arabian Peninsula is booming; a regional growth-spurt began in the 2000s, and a 2013 report predicted it would become one of the nation’s biggest industries. It has. Oman is a sultanate of youth and vibrancy, with hidden treasures – from caves to chefs’ courses – waiting for the adventurous traveller. Muscat has been hailed by Lonely Planet as one of the world’s best cities to visit, an accolade on which the Oman tourism development company OMRAN is building. Literally. OMRAN (which fortuitously means “solid structure” in Arabic) has 16 new hotels in operation and more under construction, making it the largest hotel-owning company in the sultanate. This dovetails perfectly with the government-run organisation’s tourism vision for 2040. With job-creation and investment growth firmly in-hand, the BV judges gave a resounding “Náam” (Yes!) to the award of Outstanding Contribution to National Economic Growth (Oman) 2018.
