The Sultanate of Oman plans to revamp its tourism sector by attracting residents and nationals living in the UAE, Arab News reported.
"We are targeting key tourists in the UAE, particularly UAE residents and nationals who would want to explore neighbouring countries," Salem Adi Al Mamari, the director-general of the tourism promotion department at Oman's Ministry of Tourism said.
"We are introducing a variety of packages… through (a) campaign, aimed at making it easy and convenient for tourists to take another mile and see what Oman has to offer," he added.
Al Mamari said details of the packages would be announced in the coming months. He said they will include direct flights from Sharjah to Muscat via Air Arabia, hotel accommodation in Muscat and travel insurance.
Late last month, the Sultanate announced the launch of a new partnership with UAE-based travel website, Holiday Factory, to promote the country’s tourism portfolio.
Oman, like other GCC countries, was badly hit by the economic downturn that followed the sharp fall in oil prices which started in 2014.
According to Al Mamari, Oman recorded 3.3 million visitors in 2017, up 3.1 per cent from the previous year.