With four sports and adventure projects lined up to boost its tourism potentials, Oman is well on course to become a must-visit destination on the itinerary of sports enthusiasts and adventure seekers. As a part of the Tanfeedh plan for economic diversification, plans are underway to initiate a slew of annual events that will provide a wide range of entertainment and leisure activities for residents as well as visitors. This will be complemented by four main adventure tourism projects: Oman X, Hot-Air Ballooning, Majlis al Jinn and Adventure Musandam. These projects will be implemented by the Ministry of Tourism (MoT) along with stakeholders.
Oman X
Oman X, an adventure tourism company to be set up by ASAAS (Muscat National Development and Investment Company), will promote extreme sports in the country. It will target local and international tourists and will help boost Oman as one of the top sports and adventure destinations in the world, said the ISFU’s (Implementation Support and Follow-up Unit) Annual Report 2018. ISFU was set up to follow up the outcomes of the National Program for Enhancing Economic Diversification (Tanfeedh). “Several meetings with ASAAS were held to help them fast-track MoT approval and to commence a feasibility study. The study was submitted and a conditional approval was given to ASAAS,” the report added.
Hot-Air Ballooning
Hot Air Ballooning is another key leisure project by ASAAS. It is gaining popularity as one of the most appealing recreational and adventure activities, and, “after intensive analysis and site assessments that will provide a rarely-seen view of Oman’s captivating scenery, ASAAS selected Al Sharqiyah Governorate as a base for this project, due to its popularity with tourists. Strong demand is expected, with a well-known operator such as Virgin Balloon Flights running operations,” the report stated.
Musandam Adventure
Following a study by Omran for ‘Musandam Adventure’, which concluded that Musandam could become the adventure capital of the Middle East in the next few years, the Ministry of Tourism signed a contract with Omran to develop adventure activities in Musandam, noted the report, highlighting the design of trekking paths, which are in the final stages. “Many activities such as climbing, deep-water sports, diving and via ferratas could be offered. The design work for the trekking paths has been completed and will be implemented in 2019, in addition to the via ferrata activity,” said the report.
Majlis Al Jinn
“Located in a remote area near the village of Fins, in the wilayat of Quriyat near Muscat, Majlis Al Jinn is considered one of the 10 largest cave chambers in the world. It was therefore considered important to develop the site into one of the world’s premier adventure destinations, an undertaking that MoT has assigned to Omran. In 2018, the focus was to sign an agreement and submit the concept development plan. Based on the concept presented by Omran, development of Majlis Al Jinn will be implemented through three phases, the first of which will include the removal of all old bolts and develop new way-marked trails inside the cave. There will also be the development of guidelines for adventure and tour operators who want to use the cave,” said the report.
In addition to these adventure activities, plans are also on to introduce a year-round calendar of 29 events which will include 12 sport and 17 non-sporting events. Last year saw the successful hosting of 20 such events, including marathons and cycling events, which attracted both domestic and international participation. Besides, efforts are on to establish a dedicated cultural area that will cater to residents and visitors with a host of programmes related to food and beverages.