MUSCAT : Tourism potentials of the Musandam Governorate will be highlighted with the start of ‘Musandam Carnival’ at the Bassa Beach in Khasab, on April 26. The three-day event will feature a wide array of entertainment activities and programs targeting all segments of society.
The carnival is being organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Musandam Governor’s Office, the Omran Group, and several public and private sector entities. The event aims to enrich visitors’ experiences with several entertainment activities and also promote Musandam as an attractive tourism destination.
Musandam enjoys a host of natural assets, which are enhanced by the tourism sector infrastructure, development projects, and promotional efforts undertaken by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism to highlight the experiences that the governorate provides with activities that combine adventure tourism, leisure, cultural and heritage tourism.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism has also implemented several promotional campaigns to underscore the characteristics of the governorate, and the experiences and activities it provides to the visitor. One of the most prominent of these campaigns was Musandam Al Jamal which was launched by the Ministry in cooperation with tourism sector partners in early 2021, through social media platforms.
Musandam Governorate is considered as a prominent location to host representatives of major international tourism companies and media representatives from the target markets. Strategic partnerships have introduced international travelers to Musandam as a world-class tourist destination, while focusing on adventure tourism, particularly mountaineering and diving activities.
Additionally, the number of historical and archaeological monuments registered in the governorate reached 46 landmarks, including towers, mosques, forts and castles, both existing and extinct ones. It also boasts three ancient tombs.
Nawfal bin Mohammad Al Kamzari, Assistant Director of the Heritage and Tourism Department in the Musandam Governorate, explained that the Governorate enjoys a strong infrastructure in the tourism sector, as the number of hotel establishments in the governorate, until the end of last year, reached 8, with a rating of 1 to 5 stars, comprising 512 additional rooms, in addition to hotel apartments and lodges.
He pointed out that the tourism sector in the Governorate of Musandam witnessed an increasing growth in the number of cruise ships that docked at the port of Khasab, as their number – in 2022 and the beginning of 2023 – reached about 58 ships of various sizes, with the number of visitors to the port totaling 18,999. The number of visitors at historical monuments for the year 2022 reached 12,049 visitors.
He further indicated that there are many other projects that are being implemented to support the Governorate’s tourism potentials, the most prominent of which is the slide wire project; it is a distinctive addition that will activate adventure tourism in particular.
Besides, there are a number of projects in the governorate that focus on the heritage and tourism aspects; among them are the modernization and inventory of heritage monuments, and investment opportunities in castles and forts. The Ministry is also working to support and develop private museums, including the Madha Museum in the Wilayat of Madha, and the establishment of a visitor center for the archaeological site of Dibba. It will be established during this year after carrying out archaeological excavations that lasted for about 10 years with foreign missions and ministry employees. More than 7,000 artifacts were found at the site, which will be displayed in the museum.
The Musandam Governorate is also hosting the activities of the Xterra Musandam 2023 Championship, which is a global event that combines tourism promotion and adventure sports, and is one of the largest sports brands in mountain triathlon races. It clearly establishes the governorate’s position on the global map and its classification as a major destination for mountain sports in the region and the world.
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