TAKE A LOOK AT BELOW AND SEE WHAT THE MOT IS PLANNING FOR TOURISM. NOT ONE MENTION OF OMAGINE. STILL THINK THINGS ARE GOING TO BE PEACHY ROSEY

THE BIGGER PICTURE

A recent statement from the Oman Ministry of Tourism clarified that a new 30-year strategy had been set in place to include all previous plans and aim for continual growth in visitor numbers from the 1.4 million total achieved in 2012.

New policies would aim to promote investment in the tourism sector, according to Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Naser Al Mehrazi, citing projects such as Salam Yeti and Shinas Port.

More than 3,000 new rooms are expected to premier by the end of 2014 including niche resorts in the mountains and additional resort capacity in Salalah, while STR Global reports more than 4,600 rooms in the pipeline, a figure set to grow Oman’s existing hotel sector by 60 percent.

This focus on development outside of Muscat is key to the government's strategy, highlighted in the evident priorities of its tourism development arm, Omran, which is spearheading construction of OCEC as well as hotels in Muscat, Khasab and Jebal Akhdar and joint venture projects at Jebel Sifah, Salalah Beach, Sodah Island, Saraya Bandar Jissah and Al Baleed.

Long term, these developments will provide a holistic tourism network around the country while adding much-needed meeting and event venue and room capacity in Muscat. However, it has been a slow progress up until now.

New inventory opened in the past year has included 10 eco-friendly luxury tents at the RasAl Jins Turtle Reserve, the 59-unit Mahadha Hotel – Oman resort near the Al Buraimi border with the UAE and the 34-unit Wadi Shab Resort near Tiwi on the coast south of Muscat.

There are also increased accommodation options in Duqm. Here, a 117-room Duqm City Hotel is now open along with the 213-room Crowne Plaza Duqm, the latter offering a 780-square-metre event centre with two ballrooms, four meeting rooms, boardroom and business centre. Carlson Rezidor is also launching in late 2013 with a Park Inn by Radisson Hotels & Residence with 50 one-bedroom chalets, nine two-bedroom villas, plus 15 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 46 additional units planned.

In Muscat, the new 203-room Best Western Premier has five function rooms on offer, while the long-awaited reopening of the Sheraton Muscat will add a large ballroom with capacity for up to 1,000 guests as well as new lobby, rooms, indoor pool and restaurants.

Other projected launches in the capital by the end 2013 are the 220-room Coral Plaza Qurum, the 240-room Azaiba Hotel at Airport Heights and a 95-room Swiss-Belinn on Sultan Qaboos Street, to be followed by the Holiday Inn Muscat Seeb Airport which has a June 2014 opening date and will feature 187 rooms, a 160-seat ballroom, pool and two restaurants.

In addition, Fraser Place Sohar is predicted to be open soon, while the Alila Jebal Akhdar Resort will bring a new level of boutique luxury to the mountains in early 2014 with a location 2,000 metres above sea level in the Hajar Mountains.

Another Omran venture, the 110-room Khasab Hotel in Musandam, is also set for an imminent launch, while in the first quarter of 2014, the Radisson Blu Hotel & Resort Sohar will open with 162 rooms. Rotana has also announced a December 2013 launch date for its Salalah Rotana. The 399 room/45 villa resort is the second stage in the Salalah Resort tourism complex, following the inauguration of the 65-room Juweira Boutique Hotel last year and will offer meeting planners a choice of four meeting rooms and a ballroom. The Abu Dhabi-based group has also signed a deal with Sundus Investments to operate two new four-star properties in Muscat, both scheduled to open in 2015. The Sundus Arjaan by Rotana and the Sundus Rotana Muscat will offer corporate and conference facilities on a 40,000 square metre site at Airport Heights.

Back in Salalah, construction of a 300-room Mövenpick resort is due to start early in 2014 and a 366-room Club Med is in the pipeline, while a 130-room, 80-apartment and 80-villa Shaza Salalah resort is planned for 2016, a Kempinski operation in conjunction with Guidance Hotel Investment.

Kempinski has also re-committed to a resort in Muscat at The Wave development, where facilities will include 309 rooms, a 1,320-square-metre ballroom and 460-square-metre pre-function hall as well as 14 meetings rooms. It has a scheduled opening date of late 2015.

Overall, the issue of new tenders and finalisation of design plans has underlined a new mood of confidence in the Oman product especially as other major projects are now leaning towards completion.

Among announcements this year was a 296-room Crowne Plaza at the OCEC site, offering extensive meeting facilities and opening in 2016.

Construction has also been confirmed on Al Sodah Island for an exclusive Cheval Blanc resort and also the Saraya Bandar Jissah resort complex east of Muscat, where two five-star beachfront hotels are on the blueprint. Both Angsana/Banyan Tree and Missoni hotels are still in the pipeline for the Jebel Sifah resort development.

Developer Musstir has also begun construction on a 136-key resort at the Al Baleed Resort & Spa in Salalah, flagged up as an Anantara resort and set for a January 2015 launch. The company is also behind an 82-room Al Khairan Hotel Resort & Spa, on schedule for a June 2014 opening and a mixed-use development in Muscat at the Safana Plaza with a 250-room five-star hotel, ballroom and conferencing facilities.

Among the big groups, Starwood is spearheading redevelopment with Omran of the current Muscat InterContinental site, with plans for a 250-room W Muscat and 1,400 square metres of event space, including ballroom and 12 meeting rooms. The planned opening date is 2016.

In addition, a 350-room Westin Hotel (1,850 square metres of event space with ballroom and 12 meeting rooms) and a 100-room Element Hotel, will both be launched in 2017, while IHG has signed a management contract for the 250-room InterContinental Muscat Hills Golf Resort and adjoining Club House, expected to debut in 2015.

The group also has a 248-room InterContinental Blue City Beach Resort potentially under development for a 2015 launch. Other possible event venues for the future include the 122-suite Fort Hotel near Muscat, with a mooted late 2015 opening; The Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons luxury resorts and three projects funded by the Qatari Diar investment company that will include an integrated resort at Ras Al Hadd.

Golf is another focus of development in order to build tourism. Future plans encompass two designer championship courses at Salalah Beach, one at Jebel Sifah and a nine-hole course featured as part of the Fanja Club sports development near Muscat, that will also include a soccer academy, 40-lane bowling alley and a water park.