Oman cuts tourist visas cost by 75 percent

Oman has reduced the fees for all sorts of tourist visas by at least 75 percent in a bid to boost up its tourism industry by attracting more foreigners.

Under the new policy, the ten-day tourist visa will now cost only $13 while the 24-hour cruise visa is going to be totally free. However, the cost of one month stay visa has been left unchanged.

According to official figures, Oman’s tourism industry contributed at least 3 percent to the GDP of the country during 2011. This ratio is likely to go up by 5.4 percent till the end of the calendar year.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) predicts that the industry will create at least 50, 000 jobs for the locals.

Oman’s Director of Tourism Promotion, Haitham Mohammad Ghasani, reveals that the government has marked 30 locations for developing them into tourism resorts.

Currently, Oman has a number of ideal tourism resorts which attract plenty of visitors every year from all parts of the world.

It is hoped that the reduction in visa charges will urge the tourism lovers to travel to Oman. The Gulf state is expected to receive enormous visitors during the coming summer.

In the modern era, tourism has become a vital cog in the economic development of every nation. Realising the need of improvising their tourism industries, many countries have introduces overhaul changes to their visa regimes recently, making it easier for the tourists to get visas and pay visits.

Following Oman’s success story, the other Gulf and Arabia states will also adopt such type of lax visa policies in the future. Thus, the entire Arab world, which is considered to be barbarian and useless at the moment, will turn to be an ideal destination for international tourism.

It will not be wrong to say that the modern era is an era of tourism diplomacy.

Tags: Oman, Tourism, Tourist Visa, visit visa