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An increased focus on infrastructure will lead Salalah to further expand its tourism scope beyond the Khareef
Nazia Khan

If there's such a thing as being blessed when it comes to the temperature a region experiences, it would be accurate to say that Salalah is doubly blessed and then some. This month, as tempe-ratures will hover around 45C in most of Oman and the rest of the Gulf, Salalah will be enjoying its Khareef season – cool rainfalls – that will transform the place into a green oasis. But it's not just the thick coconut groves and lush banana plantations nurtured by the Khareef, which lasts from June to September, which make Salalah special. The history and heritage attached to the region covers frankincense trails and archaeological parks, ancient ports and royal castles, lost cities and tombs with religious significance. Through the ages, the magical variety that Salalah offers has attracted travellers from Ibn Battutah to Marco Polo and Wilfred Thesiger.

In possession of all the natural features to become a tourist magnet, Salalah just needs more infrastructure support to fully realise its scope as a destination. And with the government's focus on making the tourism sector a more significant contributor to the economy, as well the new projects announced in the region, the support system is marching into place.

Charter of growth
Annual surveys of visitors to Salalah during the Khareef, conducted jointly by the Ministry of National Economy and the Ministry of Tourism, (See box: Khareef Traffic) show that the numbers are rising. More specific data that forms part of the survey - including the break-up of figu-res relating to nationalities, points of entry into Salalah, duration of stay, type of accommodation chosen, and what tourists find satisfactory and unsatisfactory about the facilities on offer – give valuable insight. Says Khalid al Rawas, acting director general, Dhofar Government, Ministry of Tourism, "We set up information centres throughout the city during the Khareef festival in order to provide assistance and answer questions that visitors might have. The arrangement provides visitors with support and gives us the information that we need to serve them better."

There was a time when the Khareef was the key period that got visitors to Salalah. But in the past year or so, Salalah has seen steps that are growing rapidly to make it a year-round destination. Michael Bamberg, general manager, Hilton Salalah Resort, explains how the hotel's entry into Salalah six years ago was in anticipation of an active Free Zone and a large container port. "We came here initially as a business hotel to cater to that market segment. Six years later, the Port of Salalah is expanding and the Free Zone project has been revitalised. But for a period in between, there was not much opportunity for the type of corporate business that we had been hoping for. The hotel then diversified and shifted towards the leisure market because there was a great deal of opportunity in that market."

The Ministry of Tourism's well-targeted promotional activities overseas brought the turn-around. A Swedish tour operator, together with a charter broker, got interested in Salalah and worked with the Hilton Salalah Resort and the Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah, to position it as a unique destination for weekly direct charter flights from Sweden. The weekly charters, which started in October 2005, split about 250 passengers between the two hotels.

Adds Edward Chaaya, general manager of the Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah, "The winter months in Europe, from October till early May, are grey and cold. During this time, Salalah with its sunny weather is an ideal vacation destination, particularly because it's not too crowded or commercial."

Travel spread
What both hotel representatives feel is the need for greater accessibility to Salalah. Says Bamberg, "The lack of air capacity between Salalah and Muscat is a major drawback at present. Flights are mostly full, which makes it difficult to bring tourists from Muscat to Salalah on available commercial flights. We are hoping that in the future there will be increased capa-city with code-share flights so that we can work more with individual travellers and diversify our customer base."

For Salalah to attract more business travellers, and conferences and incentive travel, greater hotel capacity is required. With this in view, the Hilton is planning an extension of 150-200 rooms. Meanwhile, other plans include the Muriya Tourism Development Project between Salalah and Taqah, and the Mirbat Project, which will add to the capacity to accommodate future events. Planned shopping mall projects, one by a Kuwait-based company and the other a City Centre, also promise to add dimension to the entertainment options in Salalah.

But creating an interest in young Omanis to want to join the growing hospitality industry remains an issue for employers. Says Bamberg, "Currently our industry does not enjoy the wider recognition which working for government institutions or banks brings about, especially as working hours there are more convenient. But we do operate joint and sponsored training programmes in conjunction with the Ministry of Manpower and the Ministry of Tourism."

Meanwhile, the publicity and facilities surrounding Salalah's popular and secret destinations could do with some finishing touches. About 60km east of Salalah, near the Taqah and Mirbat roads, is a 200-metre stretch of road named by those who know it as the anti-gravity point. Stop your car here, release the breaks and your car starts to move uphill, seemingly defying the laws of gravity. It's a fascinating spot, but there's no mention of it on signboards or the map provided to tourists.

And, pre-Khareef, there were no restaurants on the road leading to the lagoon at Khor Rori and the Mirbat Castle, among many other other destinations. But authorities say they are working to iron out such glitches.

Says the Ministry of Tourism's Rawas, "We are in the process of adding several other features to popular spots within Salalah. The tendering process to build viewing points on mountains is also underway."

Also, the municipality is planning to develop the area west of the Port of Salalah into a pedestrian promenade with cafés and other attractions. The Salalah Tender Committee is also discussing projects to pave and provide lighting for internal roads.

Tourism's scope in Salalah has the premise to touch the lives of a considerable number of the region's residents, either directly or indirectly. It raises the income opportunities of the population and makes for a strong connection between Salalah and the rest of the world. And if the connection is nurtured the way it is being now, Salalah is sure to witness sky-rocketing growth as a tourist destination.