Oman Welcomed 3.9 Million Visitors in 2025: Heritage and Tourism Ministry

Tourism Sector Continues Strong Growth, Contributing 2.7% to GDP by End of 2024

RO 2.6 Billion Tourism Investments Drive Economic Diversification

Muscat: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism affirmed today, during its annual media briefing held in Muscat, that the Sultanate of Oman’s tourism sector continues to register strong growth and positive indicators, reflecting the effectiveness of approved policies and programmes and the sector’s increasing role in supporting economic diversification and boosting its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Sayyid Ibrahim Said Al Busaidi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, stated that the briefing comes within the framework of supporting the heritage and tourism sectors as key pillars of economic diversification. He noted that the contribution of the tourism sector to GDP increased from about 1.6 percent in 2020 to approximately 2.7 percent by the end of 2024.

He added that the Tenth Five-Year Plan witnessed tourism investments estimated at RO 2.6 billion upon completion of all its stages, in addition to ongoing investments in more than 12 Integrated Tourism Complexes (ITCs), strengthening Oman’s position as an attractive destination for tourism and investment.

In the heritage field, the Minister highlighted several qualitative achievements, including the inscription of five cultural sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List and seven cultural and natural sites on the Tentative List. He also noted the restoration of several historical monuments and the issuance of 50 scientific publications documenting Oman’s civilizational legacy.

For his part, Azzan Qasim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, said that the Sultanate of Oman received around 3.9 million visitors from various countries by the end of 2025. He explained that the diversity of source markets reflects the success of efforts to reduce reliance on traditional markets.

He added that promotional campaigns carried out by the Ministry generated direct returns exceeding RO 69.8 million and recorded more than 325,000 hotel nights during 2025. He also pointed to progress in developing specialized tourism patterns, including cruise tourism, charter flights, adventure tourism, wedding tourism, culinary tourism, and MICE tourism.

Al Busaidi noted that by the end of November 2025, 71 cruise ships visited Omani ports carrying 112,556 passengers, generating an estimated economic impact of over RO 2.363 million. He further stated that 15 Integrated Tourism Complexes were licensed between 2020 and 2025 with a total value of RO 2.8 billion, in addition to issuing 533 approvals for hotel establishments providing 7,923 hotel rooms.

Meanwhile, Eng. Ibrahim Said Al Kharousi, Undersecretary of the Ministry for Heritage, reviewed the key achievements in preserving Omani cultural heritage from 2021 to 2025. He said that these efforts included the establishment of the Oman Cultural Heritage Registry, comprising a smartphone application, a website, and an integrated database of cultural properties.

He added that 90 historical sites were documented using 3D virtual tour technology and that more than 100 restoration projects for castles, forts, and monuments were completed. On international and regional projects, he stated that restoration works at the House of Wonders in Zanzibar reached 55 percent completion, while the visitor centre at the Dibba archaeological site in Musandam reached 96 percent.

He noted that visitor centres for the Ancient City of Qalhat, as well as the Bat, Al-Khutm, and Al-Ayn archaeological sites, reached 40 percent completion. He further explained that Oman ranks first globally in documenting meteorite samples, possessing about 5.6 percent of the world’s known meteorites, with more than 7,000 pieces recorded.

Al Kharousi added that detailed designs for the Maritime History Museum are currently underway, while tender documents are being prepared for the construction of the Natural History Museum. In 2025, 22 private museums and heritage houses were licensed. Construction has also begun on the Wadi Dawkah Visitor Centre in Dhofar Governorate, with an estimated cost of RO 3 million and expected completion in the third quarter of 2027.