Tourism to contribute $1.93bn to Oman's 2011 GDP

Travel and tourism is forecast to contribute $1.93bn to Oman's total gross domestic product this year, driven by an increase in international visitors. The forecast by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) comes as the sultanate's flagship carrier Oman Air reported a surge in tourism arrivals in the first quarter of the year. Passenger figures for the period surpassed those of 2008, 2009 and 2010, with March 2011 witnessing 35,000 arrivals compared to around 25,000 in March of the previous year, Oman tourism officials said in a statement.Muscat and Salalah are expanding their airports to accommodate passenger traffic of between 48 and 10 million per annum respectively.And arrivals at Oman's key ports are growing as well, with Muscat alone reporting over 90 cruise ship visits for the 2010-2011 season.Salem Al Mamari, director general of Tourism Promotions, Oman Ministry of Tourism, said: "This is turning out to be another fruitful year for tourism in Oman. There are many projects currently underway to welcome even more travellers to explore our culture, natural treasures and colorful history. "We intend to further develop the necessary infrastructure and programs to support this thriving sector," he added.Upcoming tourism developments include the $2.5bn 'Omagine' project covering a series of integrated tourism complexes in Muscat and the $1bn tourism resort being built in the port city of Salalah.A convention and exhibition centre scheduled to open in late 2013 is aiming to extend Oman's appeal to business travellers. From / Arabian Business News