Muscat has developed into a sleek and stylish place to meet, and is a real treat for those heading out to the desert sands, says Ian McCurrach
Oman is realtively young as a tourist destination, but since the dynamic Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said came to power in 1970 and opened up the Sultanate to visitors, the market has steadily expanded.
Rather than concentrate on the theme-park style of tourism favoured by some other cities in the region, Oman has focused on its history, heritage and ancient culture to attract visitors. This is one of the key contributing factors to Muscat, Oman’s bustling historic capital, becoming a highly respected player in the meetings, incentives, conferences and events market.
Khalid Al Zadjali, acting director of tourism events for Oman’s Tourism Ministry, says: “Oman is committed to the meetings and incentive travel market and we aim to build further awareness of Oman as an exciting niche destination. We are seeing strong growth in MICE business at present and see a bright future with the Sultanate’s decision to build the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre [OCEC] in Muscat, a 6,000-plus seat facility due for completion in 2013.”
The OCEC will be an additional facility to the existing Oman International Exhibition Centre, which has an indoor 12,000 sqm multipurpose space housing events such as the International Jewellery Exhibition. Overlooking the glittering Gulf of Oman, this new complex will be stacked with all the latest high-tech specs, from video-conferencing to lighting. It will also have a 30,000 sqm multi-use sports centre and exhibition space suitable for international sporting events, along with 20 meeting rooms with a capacity of 250 people in each.
There will be four hotels – the brands have not yet been announced, but they will cater to the three-, four- and five-star markets – a complex of 150 serviced apartments, a shopping mall and an international business park.
Oman attracts visitors from around the globe, says Gautam Broota, general manager of destination management company (DMC) Zahara Tours. “More and more firms from the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, US and Australia are coming to us with event enquiries
for Muscat, and around 25 per cent of visitors coming to Oman are part of the MICE market,” he says. Another major market is India, thanks to its geographical proximity.
In October, Muscat’s Intercontinental hotel played host to the fourth International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations, and the event attracted 380 delegates from 34 countries. Salem Al Mamari, director-general of tourism promotions for the Oman Ministry of Tourism, says: “Oman’s hosting of this international event reflected the country’s commitment to sustainable tourism development and its emphasis on the delivery of socio-economic benefits to local people, while preserving [our] cultural and natural heritage.”
Under the theme of “Living Landscapes”, the conference was attended by international delegates, along with leading global experts, heads of tourism companies and a host of government officials. One of the outcomes was the promotion of nature and adventure MICE travel in Muscat, where visitors experience the spirit and true nature of Arabia.
Shankar Bose, general manager of Bahwan Travel Consortium, one of the leading DMCs organising MICE travel to Muscat, says: “The natural attributes of craggy mountains, rolling deserts, virgin coastline and green wadis provide the perfect Arabian backdrop to any itinerary or theme.”
Oman has many more positive points for anyone holding a meeting or event. It’s safe, with modern infrastructure, and has respected its architectural past – strict building regulations dictate that even functional new buildings have traditional features such as domes and Arabesque windows. It also has a range of stylish upmarket hotels and resorts (see panel, left).
Perhaps one of its fortes is the natural and cultural attractions it can showcase to visitors. There’s the 1,700km of pristine coastline washed by crystal clear waters, a rugged interior littered with ancient forts and castles, timeless Bedouin camps, wild wadis, rocky mountains and hilltop villages that have remained unchanged for centuries, with friendly and welcoming locals. Muscat itself has exotic souks crammed with antique silver, traditional costumes, frankincense, myrrh and sumptuous spices.
George El Hachem, director of sales and marketing at the Intercontinental, says: “We are launching a new [style of] meeting that focuses on combining the hotel’s facilities with the local culture. We recently held an event on saving the planet, for the Europe, Middle East and Africa regions, organised by the United Nations Development Programme. This included Omani cuisine served in a desert location, and it proved really successful.”
Eric Walters, director of DMC Hud Hud Travels, says the average event in Oman lasts between three and five nights. “The Shangri-La is probably the most popular venue owing to its size and capacity, but other big hotels such as the Al Bustan Palace, Intercontinental and Crowne Plaza are all major players in the market,” he says. “In terms of offering something uniquely Arabian, it seems crazy to fly people thousands of miles to sit in a generic conference room in a generic hotel. We, like most DMCs, take people out of hotels, into nature and out of their comfort zones. So Oman’s many desert camps, forts, wadis and beaches provide some of the most unusual and popular MICE venues, especially for activities such as survival and teambuilding.”
Arbind K Shrestha, general manager of the Shangri-La, says: “The main MICE business comes from the banking, insurance, IT, oil and gas, pharmaceutical and automotive sectors. Major car launches are particularly popular here as the roads through the mountains are stunning and really stretch a vehicle’s capabilities. [The scenery] is also highly photogenic, providing excellent press material. Recent launches include the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Bentley Continental GTC.”
Along with in-house or on-location catering, Muscat benefits from a wide range of international restaurants, including Chinese, Thai, Malaysian, Indian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean.
Bahwan’s Bose says: “We typically manage groups of between 20 and 300 people and one good thing is the range of budgets [that can be catered for] when it comes to restaurants. They encompass everything from the upmarket Australian Vue restaurant at the Al Bustan Palace to the many cheap and cheerful French eateries on the Muttrah Corniche.”
With increasing visitor numbers, construction is well under way for new hotels, which will bring the Sultanate’s total capacity to 15,000 rooms by 2015. The four-star Millennium hotel opened at the end of last year at the new Al-Musannah Sports City. In addition to the 250-room four-star property, the 1,000,000 sqm complex includes serviced apartments (with brands yet to be announced), an events plaza, shops and restaurants, and a major media international broadcast centre. In the first quarter of this year, a four-star 380-room City Seasons hotel is due to open in the diplomatic area of the city. Facilities include a ballroom for 350 people and three restaurants. City Seasons group has four properties in the UAE, but this is its first in Oman.
Other developments opening this year include the Gulf’s first Royal Opera House and a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course at the luxury hotel and residential project the Wave. Further phased openings at the Wave include four high-end hotels – one will be Oman’s first Kempinski property, opening in 2013 with 280 rooms, while a 300-room Fairmont will launch next year. Both will have large-scale meeting and event spaces. Other plans for Muscat include an exotic botanical gardens and new national museum.
Just outside the city, Foster and Partners is designing a 32 sq km waterfront city. Al Madina A’Zarqa will have a phased opening from 2012 and will initially feature three five-star hotels, with more to be added, plus a plethora of restaurants, theatres, museums and access to some wonderful dive sites.
To cater for all the visitors these developments will attract, the Sultanate has invested heavily in Muscat International airport. A new terminal is being built (due for completion later this year), which will help with the 12 million annual passengers the Ministry of Tourism predicts will be arriving by 2020.
In fact, during the recent global downturn, while much of the world’s international and MICE travel market experienced a depression, Oman saw a year-on-year increase of approximately 5.8 per cent in international passenger arrivals, with more than 2.5 million arriving in 2009 – no mean achievement.
Incentive ideas
- Mystical Muscat – explore the museums, souks, forts, port and mighty Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.
- Wadi and dune bashing – try 4x4 driving across the huge desert dunes at Bawshar and visit wadis [valleys] such as the picturesque Ghul and Misfah.
- Cultural and historical experiences – visit the old villages of Oman and interact with local Bedouin families to learn about their way of life, for example, taking a camel ride in the desert.
- Dolphin watching and beach Olympics – including windsurfing, sailing and canoeing.
Websites
- Zahara Tours (zaharatours.com)
- Hud Hud Travels (hudhudtravels.com)
- Gulf Ventures (gulfventures.ae)
- Bahwan Tours (bahwantravels.com)
- Desert Adventures (desertadventures.com)
- National Travel and Tourism (nttoman.com)
- 1,001 Events (1001events.com)
- Ejabyah (ejabyah.com)
- Promo Oman (promooman.com)
- SNTTA (snttaoman.com)
Hotels
Al Bustan Palace
One of Muscat’s most luxurious properties, the Al Bustan Palace is in the east of the city, set in 81 hectares of gardens on a private beach. It has 250 rooms and suites. There are 12 meeting rooms seating up to 900 people, and a ballroom for 2,000.
14 Muttrah; tel +968 2479 9666; ichotelsgroup.com
Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa
This huge resort stretches along one of Muscat’s finest beaches and comprises of swish five- and “six-star” properties. For meetings and events there are seven rooms and a ballroom with a capacity of 800 people banquet-style. Wired and wifi internet access is free.
Quantab; tel +968 2477 6666; shangri-la.com
Grand Hyatt Muscat
A 280-room five-star property on the beachfront, close to the embassy district of Muscat, with a good selection of restaurants and bars. There is a wide range of meeting rooms including a ballroom that accommodates 800 theatre-style.
Shatti Al Qurm; tel +968 2464 1234; muscat.grand.hyatt.com
Crowne Plaza Hotel Muscat
Down the coast from the Grand Hyatt the Crowne Plaza is set in four hectares of gardens on a cliff top with beach access. The 200-room four-star property has four meeting rooms – the largest can hold 600 theatre-style. The two restaurants offer Persian and Italian cuisine and there is an English pub.
Ruwi; tel +968 2466 0660; ichotelsgroup.com
Intercontinental Hotel Muscat
A 258-room five-star property on the beachfront. The excellent facilities include six restaurants, an executive floor and six meeting spaces with a capacity for 700 reception-style.
Al Kharjiya Street; tel +968 2468 0000; ichotelsgroup.com
