‘Experience Our Winter’: How Oman’s New Tourism Campaign Could Boost Your Business Opportunities
Muscat – The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has launched a series of initiatives to position the Sultanate of Oman as a distinguished tourist destination for the 2025/2026 winter season.
The Ministry aims to showcase Oman’s diverse tourism assets during this period, emphasizing its moderate climate, a wide range of adventurous activities, and rich cultural and heritage experiences.
Promotional efforts feature extensive digital campaigns targeting key markets across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Asia, and Europe. These campaigns highlight popular winter activities such as desert and mountain camping, cave exploration, land tours, and coastal experiences.
Under the slogan "Experience Our Winter," the campaign focuses on the local and Gulf markets, delivering creative messages that capture the unique beauty and appeal of Oman’s winter tourism offerings. The comprehensive plan includes short promotional videos, authentic visitor stories, collaborations with small and medium enterprises in content creation, and media outreach through social media, digital displays, local radio stations, and interactive competitions.
Haitham bin Mohammed al Ghassani, Director General of Tourism Promotion at MHT, emphasized the Ministry’s dedication to implementing high-quality promotional programs this year, with a particular focus on digital marketing and expanding the reach of target markets.
Winter Festivals
The Ministry also played a key role in organizing several high-profile events, including winter festivals in Muscat and Al Dakhiliyah, the Muscat Marathon, Tour of Oman, Ironman competition, and Bashayer Camel Festival. These events attracted over 63,000 visitors in some cases, while other activities like the desert marathon, "Winter in Bahla," and various motorsport events saw thousands of participants locally and internationally.
These events significantly boosted the tourism sector’s economic returns, with some activities generating more than RO1.5 million. They also created temporary employment opportunities and supported productive families and small to medium enterprises.
Cruise Tourism
This season marks the first visit of the cruise ship “Islamic Cruise” to the port of Salalah, signaling a significant advance for Oman’s cruise tourism sector. This milestone reflects the growing global interest in Oman as a cruise destination. The Ministry is coordinating with relevant authorities to finalize initiatives that enhance cruise ship and yacht infrastructure and services, aiming to attract international cruise and yacht companies.
Tourism Growth from Europe
Until October 2025, Oman saw marked increases in tourist numbers from several key markets. The Russian market grew by 140 percent, while tourist numbers from Switzerland and the Netherlands rose by 49 to 60 percent. Spain recorded a 21 percent increase, and Gulf markets saw growth ranging from 6 to 17 percent. Some Asian markets experienced a 5 percent rise in visitors. Oman also expanded efforts into new markets such as the Nordic countries, Poland, and Austria, achieving tourist growth between 11 and 25 percent.
Charter flights brought in 93,000 tourists—up 26 percent compared to the previous season—with 588 flights operating this season, up from 466 last season. Projections for this winter season estimate over 640 charter flights will transport 110,000 tourists, generating economic returns exceeding US$100 million.
Economic returns of approximately US$80 million were recorded from accommodation, transportation, and tourism-related activities, excluding additional revenues from aircraft landing, docking, and refueling fees.
Special Analysis by Omanet | Navigate Oman’s Market
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism’s strategic winter campaign to boost tourism, backed by extensive digital marketing and diverse events, positions Oman as a competitive and attractive destination for GCC, Asian, and European tourists. This surge in visitors, especially via charter flights and cruise tourism, presents substantial growth opportunities for local SMEs, hospitality, and service sectors, while smart investors should leverage the expanding infrastructure and evolving cruise market to maximize returns. However, businesses must remain agile to capitalize on the seasonal influx and increasing international interest, ensuring quality and innovative tourist experiences to sustain long-term growth.
