16,799 Omanis working in tourism sector

Oman’s tourism sector has more than 16000 Omanis working

Muscat: The total number of workers in tourism sector activities until October of this year reached 179,750 workers, including 16,799 Omanis, while the total number of small and medium enterprises in the sector reached 23,979 institutions, while the number of establishments affiliated with the sector reached 23,979. The Riyada umbrella includes 4,751 establishments, according to statistics received from the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism.

Shaima Bint Youssef Al-Farsiyya, Director of the Human Resources Development Department for the Heritage and Tourism Sectors in Al-Nadab, at the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, said that the tourism sector offers different and competitive benefits to employees in a way that ensures sustainability and provides an appropriate work environment, as it consists of providing incentives specific to the company in which they work exclusively, such as distributing a percentage of revenues. On employees through the 8% service fee that classified hotel establishments and restaurants collect from their patrons.

She added that the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism is implementing multiple programs in cooperation with various governmental and private sectors with the aim of increasing the number of the national workforce in the tourism sector, such as awareness programs targeting students in some educational institutions to encourage interest in working in the sector, the incentive program, employment fairs, and through the law The new tourism issued by Royal Decree No. 69/2023, which aims to facilitate and organize the investment process in a way that ensures the provision of new job opportunities for Omanis.

She explained that the Ministry is working in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and sector partners to achieve the goals of “Oman Vision 2040”, which aims to increase the number of Omanis working in this sector, stressing that the Ministry seeks, through its various projects and initiatives, to regulate the labor market in the tourism sector and to provide and create new job opportunities. And provide it with capable national cadres through training, qualification and development of professional standards to increase the number of Omanis working in the sector.

She indicated that the Ministry is working with partners to create and develop a system of professional standards for the tourism sector, as well as developing and implementing specialized training programs to enhance job opportunities.

It is also working on studying the preparation of sectoral professional standards, which will contribute in the future to developing policies and plans in sectoral training, developing training and educational programs and raising their quality based on According to approved professional standards, the sectoral labor market will be organized by setting job titles in accordance with the titles specified by professional standards.

The Director of the Department of Human Resources Development for the Heritage and Tourism Sectors in Al-Nadab added that it is among the most important projects of the department regarding the preparation of professional standards, after coordination and study of the challenges faced by the tourism guide profession according to the data listed with the Ministry, and an initial replacement and resettlement plan was submitted for the first period, provided that the results are studied.

The first and then the second phase of the plan will be implemented, so work will be done to prepare the professional standards required for the tourism guide profession. She continued by saying that the training program initiative was the first step that supports and contributes to the preparation and activation of professional standards for the tourist guide profession and will ensure the presence of experienced and high-quality outputs and will support the plan for replacement and nationalization in the field of tourism guidance.

In addition to the training program for those wishing to practice the tourism guidance profession, there is also a tourist guidance program with several Languages ​​to enable Omani workers who speak foreign languages ​​other than English, which will contribute and ensure sustainability in the field of tourism guidance in the long term according to a deliberate plan to replace and settle Omani staff with foreigners in foreign languages ​​other than English according to the needs of the tourism markets targeted by the Ministry.