Oman: Growth In Tourism Expenditure And Hospitality Sector Driving Economic Diversification

Published on September 10, 2025

Oman’s tourism manufacture has seen notable maturation successful caller years, pinch an expanding number of inbound visitors spending much successful nan country. Between 2020 and 2024, tourer expenditure successful nan Sultanate grew substantially, peculiarly successful areas specified arsenic air carrier services, accommodation, and food and beverage services. According to nan National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), nan full spending by visitors reached important figures, marking an upward inclination successful nan country’s tourism revenue. This article delves into nan tourism expenditure growth, nan expanding hospitality infrastructure, and nan domiciled of tourism successful Oman’s economy.

Growth successful Tourist Expenditure

Between 2020 and 2024, nan expenditure of inbound visitors successful Oman saw a melodramatic increase. In 2020, visitors spent RO183,879, which grew to RO989,107 by 2024. A awesome information of this expenditure, astir 307,115 Omani rials, was spent connected air carrier services, while 212,504 rials were directed towards accommodation services. The tourism sector’s publication to nutrient and beverage services amounted to 132,701 rials.

Domestic tourism besides played a important domiciled successful this growth, pinch nan expenditure of section visitors rising from 555,077 rials successful 2020 to 833,837 rials successful 2024. Of this amount, 225,446 rials were allocated for accommodation services, 323,078 rials for nutrient and beverage services, and 100,662 rials for shopping. This emergence successful home tourism indicates an summation successful section spending wrong nan hospitality and work industries.

Expanding Hospitality Infrastructure

As of 2024, Oman boasts a robust hospitality assemblage pinch a full of 1,031 hotels, offering a mixed 35,948 rooms. This maturation successful edifice infrastructure is simply a nonstop consequence of nan expanding number of visitors visiting nan Sultanate. Moreover, 23,873 individuals are employed wrong nan sector, pinch 7,686 Omanis moving successful nan hospitality manufacture alongside 16,187 expatriates.

The five-star hotel industry, peculiarly successful Muscat, plays a important domiciled successful attracting high-end tourists. In 2024, Oman had 29 five-star hotels, 16 of which are located successful Muscat, nan country’s capital. Other regions, specified arsenic North al Batinah, South al Batinah, Al Dhakiliyah, and Dhofar, besides boast luxury accommodations to cater to nan increasing request from some world and home travelers.

Revenue Generation from Tourism-Related Activities

Tourism-related activities successful Oman person been a important gross generator, contributing RO1,846,324 to nan system successful 2024. This magnitude was generated from various sources, including hotel services (RO367,391), real property activities (RO15,801), restaurant services (RO446,880), road transport (RO155,254), and air transport (RO443,667). Additionally, transport instrumentality rentals contributed RO22,777, while travel agencies and reservation services generated RO368,694 successful revenue. The cultural services assemblage besides saw a publication of RO25,860, reflecting Oman’s increasing liking successful promoting its rich | practice and civilization to world visitors.

Hotel Growth and nan Rise of Luxury Accommodations

Oman’s hospitality sector, particularly successful nan luxury segment, has expanded rapidly. The summation successful five-star hotels has made nan state an charismatic destination for high-spending tourists. These hotels cater not only to world visitors but besides to able home travelers seeking world-class services. The beingness of much than 1,000 hotels successful nan Sultanate underscores Oman’s increasing estimation arsenic a salient tourer destination successful nan GCC region.

Muscat, arsenic nan capital, remains nan cardinal hub for nan mostly of Oman’s luxury hotels, while different regions, for illustration Dhofar, which is celebrated for its unsocial landscapes and heritage, are gradually seeing much five-star developments. As nan state continues to diversify its tourism offerings, nan maturation of high-end accommodations aligns pinch broader efforts to position Oman arsenic a top-tier destination for world visitors.

Key Sectors Driving Tourism Spending

The expanding expenditure by inbound visitors tin beryllium attributed to respective cardinal sectors that thrust nan tourism system successful Oman. Accommodation services stay nan largest contributor, pinch a important information of spending directed towards edifice stays. Additionally, air carrier services person seen a marked summation successful revenue, arsenic much world flights are being added to Oman’s network, making it easier for visitors to entree nan country.

Food and beverage services besides play a important domiciled successful nan tourism industry, pinch visitors spending a important magnitude connected eating experiences. The increasing fame of section cuisines, coupled pinch nan constitution of high-quality restaurants, has led to a surge successful food-related spending. Moreover, nan hospitality assemblage has benefited from an expanding number of Omani and international restaurants catering to a divers scope of tastes and preferences.

Tourism’s Role successful Oman’s Economic Diversification

Tourism is becoming an integral portion of Oman’s economical diversification strategy. As nan state moves distant from its dependency connected lipid and gas, nan tourism manufacture has emerged arsenic a cardinal pillar for semipermanent economical growth. The improvement of luxury hotels, coupled pinch efforts to heighten tourism infrastructure, has been portion of Oman’s broader strategy to boost non-oil revenues. This aligns pinch nan government’s Vision 2040, which intends to found Oman arsenic a starring world tourism destination.

Conclusion

Oman’s tourism assemblage continues to turn astatine a accelerated pace, pinch expanding tourist expenditure, a booming hospitality sector, and a increasing attraction connected high-end accommodations. As much world visitors flock to nan Sultanate, nan industry’s expertise to make gross done accommodation, air transport, and food and beverage services further underscores tourism’s captious domiciled successful Oman’s economy. The continued finance successful luxury hotels and nan country’s infrastructure will undoubtedly lend to Oman’s positioning arsenic a premier destination successful nan Gulf and beyond.