MUSCAT: Oman is making plans to woo the thousands of Malaysian Muslims performing the haj in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, yearly.
Its director-general of tourism, Mohammed Ali Said, said most of the pilgrims were “hijacked” by tour operators to Jordan and Turkey before the start of the pilgrimage.
“In fact, Oman is very near and is a convenient place for Malaysians to have two or three days’ rest,” he said in an interview with Malaysian journalists here recently.
Mohammed Ali said several attractive packages could be worked out to cater for Malaysians.
He said that although relations between Malaysia and Oman were good, only a small number of Malaysians visited the country.
“We are appointing a marketing agent in Singapore to undertake a campaign to woo tourists from the Far East,” he said, adding that Oman is clean, peaceful and has the necessary facilities for tourists.
Oman now has offices in most parts of Europe, as well as in Japan and Australia.
Mohammed Ali said many Malaysians were not aware of Oman’s attractions and hoped that through the campaign, tourist arrivals would increase.
There were direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Muscat, with visas being issued to tourists on arrival. He also said Oman practised a policy of attracting investment in tourism zones in the country.
“Any person can buy property in the tourist destination and get a visa for himself and his family without the need of a sponsor,” he said, adding that several tourism zones have been identified.
“We also welcome joint investment in tourism-related projects with Oman businesses.”
Source: The Star Online
