Salalah’s Khareef Festival evolves into a money spinner

With greenery galore, historic sites, unspoilt seashores, a pollution-free environment and a scant populace, Salalah is definitely a cut away from other destinations in Oman. But, alongside being one of the most preferred destinations by tourists, it also is one of the sure money spinners for the government as the annual flood of tourists to this destination jacks up the Omani economy significantly.

As capital of the Dhofar region, this city which thrives in the midst of coconut groves, banana plantations and sandy beaches with milky surf, is not really a haven for those bitten by the adventure bug. But, it does have all the ingredients that beckon those who love nature’s bountiful glory. The lush vegetation here also renders this destination a tropical look since it is the only place in the Arabian peninsula which is bestowed with an annual monsoon. And, the fact that His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, had been born here (in 1940) as the eighth generation of the Al Bu-said dynasty, lends a special significance for this place.

According to sources, 85 per cent of Oman’s tourists come from the UAE. However, to attract tourists from places other than the UAE, the Sultanate is currently taking the help of professional agencies. And, since Oman bases its tourism strategy on festivals, the Salalah Khareef Festival is considered one major event promoted to attract visitors during summer. Last year, this festival attracted 88 per cent of its tourists from the GCC countries only. Therefore, the Ministry of Tourism has now chalked out very ambitious targets to achieve a growth from current 0.9 per cent of GDP to 3 per cent in the tourism industry by 2020.

Banks, commercial establishments and airlines have made their presence felt at the Khareef festival year after year by sponsoring events and shows as well as taking on the mantle of major sponsors for the festival itself. Most of these admit that this gesture has helped immensely not only in boosting their individual images but also in jacking up their annual earnings significantly. Special offers/schemes are therefore floated during the festival with an eye on long-term as well as short-term gains.

One of the pointers to this is the fact that mobile operator Nawras had celebrated achieving its 1,00,000th customer during the 2005 Khareef festival. The company has in 2006 proudly announced achieving its 4,00,000th customer during this year’s festival. Hence, the festival, which began as merely a cultural extravaganza in 1998, has now blossomed into an event that offers sound ground for business development and overall growth of the economy.

Despite Oman's immense potential, it is learnt that mass tourism is, however, not favoured in Oman and so the government is said to be adopting a slow and deliberate approach to the sector. The government has concentrated its efforts on fostering upmarket tourism and is working hard to ensure that development projects are sympathetic to the local environment and culture.

It may be noted that given the cautious approach to tourism in the Sultanate, the pace of change is now picking up. Earlier, the duration of a transit visa was extended from 24 to 72 hours. Visas are no longer required for GCC citizens and expatriates residing in the Gulf will be granted a two week tourist-entry visa on arrival. Events geared to attracting visitors, like the Khareef Festival and the Muscat Festival are also being established as a source of a string of economic activity that begins before the festival and continues long after.

Tourists from the GCC come to Salalah, not just to enjoy sights like the Al-Balid ruins at the Al Balid Archaeological Park which houses the site of the ancient city of Zafar, the tomb of Prophet Nabi Ayub (referred to as Prophet Job in the Bible) or the ruins of the palace of the Queen of Sheba at Khawr Rhori. They also come for some respite from the sweltering heat and to revel in the midst of green valleys and mountains, which is something like a dream for those residing elsewhere in Oman as well as the Gulf. And, during the Khareef season spanning two months, this brief sojourn of tourists translates into hefty earnings of foreign exchange for Oman.

Salalah is a big draw for many reasons. It is the only place on earth where you find the Boswellia Sacra, a plant known for the sap it produces: Frankincense, which has some religious significance to Muslims and Christians. There are also historic sites, ancient ruins, marshy backwaters full of migratory birds and unspoilt beaches which are considered ideal for water sports like scuba diving, sailing, and to quaint villages full of ruined forts and dwellings.

The annual festival event, which opens with a colourful inauguration ceremony and an artistic tableaux depicting the cultural and historic glory of Dhofar governorate, is held at the new amphitheatre, which is said to be the biggest open-air venue in Oman with a capacity to seat about 7,000 people. People pour in from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar in large numbers, besides other countries, right from the first week itself.

The various airlines formulate special flight schedules to cater to the annual rush to Salalah during the festival. Oman Air operates around 25 flights per week from Muscat to Salalah, besides three flights (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays) per week from Salalah to Dubai and back. Saudi Airlines also operated three flights a week from Riyadh to Salalah (Saturdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Gulf Air also flies twice from Abu Dhabi to Salalah on Sundays and Wednesdays. Last year, five airlines had operated direct services to Salalah during the Khareef festival, including Oman Air, Kuwait Airways, Gulf Air, Saudia and Iran Air.

Salalah offers a range of hotel accommodation catering to a variety of tastes and budgets. There is ample accommodation for international tourists seeking a luxurious stay as well as other smaller hotels to cater to the budget-conscious travellers. Restaurants, fitness centres and sports avenues are also easily available for the leisure-buffs and fitness freaks. Dhofar has around 15 good hotels, besides an array of apartments and furnished flats which are let out to tourists during the festival. Tours Manager of Mark Tours (which has been entrusted the task of handling all tour bookings for Oman Air Holidays this year), Nizar Ahmed informed that various readymade packages as well as tailor-made packages are available to suit different tourists’ requirements. “Last year we handled over 2500 guests from the GCC countries and this year we expect a greater number of bookings from Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia. As for inbound tourists from Oman, the numbers are not much.”

An official Zahara Tours said Europeans form the bulk of the tourists who prefer the Hilton Salalah or Crowne Plaza Resort for stay in Salalah. Several others also go for private villas and apartments since they choose to stay for longer periods, she added. There are other tour operators who also say that Salalah plays an important role in their annual earnings and it can be a great source of revenue for the government if its tourism potential is rightly exploited.

Hotels like The Hilton Salalah Resort are some of the key players in the hotel industry. Hilton has floated summer offers for the Khareef season with special Oman Air packages and has been offering travellers unbeatable packages valid from July 1 to end of August. The Hilton packages start at RO 230 (Dh2325/$633) per person and UAE residents can fly from Dubai directly to Salalah for three nights with Oman Air. The Hilton Salalah Resort houses 147 deluxe family rooms, some of the largest in the region and executive suites that boast spectacular seaside views.

Another endearing place to stay in Salalah is the Crowne Plaza Resort Salalah which offers a peaceful stay. Crowne Plaza Resort (rebanded from Holiday Inn Salalah, after a multi-million dollar reconstruction and renovation) is located on the white sandy beaches of Southern Oman. Set in a private, 45 acres, lush green tropical haven with its own coconut groves, the hotel is located right on the Indian ocean and in the home of the most precious commodity known as Frankincense.

Since May 1, Oman Air commenced its summer schedule with an increase in the number of flights to various destinations in the Middle East. Commenting on these increases, Mr. Abdulrazaq Al Raissi, Senior Manager Sales, stated that Oman Air is trying to make this summer another exceptional season in order to cater to the increasing number of passenger traffic to and from Oman. The increase in the number of frequencies and connections will have a positive impact on the tourist activities, besides facilitating the commercial and industrial segment as well, says Raissi.

Southern Serenade
Salalah is Oman’s second largest city and the administrative capital of the southern region of Dhofar. Dhofar is dramatically different from the rest of Oman, or for that matter anywhere in the Gulf, mainly because it is the only region in the Gulf that receives the annual monsoon showers, locally known as khareef. Dhofar covers a third of the country and has a varied terrain.

The Dhofar region is subdivided into 9 wilayats. Its climate is dramatically different to the rest of Oman due to the effects of the monsoon rains (khareef) which arrive during the summer months, creating humidity and moderate temperatures of around 300C. As a consequence, the area becomes lush and green, with waterfalls and rivers feeding the surrounding pastures.

The wilayat of Salalah, which is the administrative capital of Dhofar, lies on the Arabian Sea, around 1040km from Muscat in the north. The city has been subject to many historical and archaeological studies over the years and evidence has been found in the form of writing, inscriptions and signs indicating that a number of different civilizations have succeeded each other here.

This wilayat contains stunning beaches and steep, mountainous landscapes. The rocky outcrops on the beach in Mughsil contain many blowholes which burst dramatically during high tide. Salalah is developing as a tourist resort and is attracting a number of international hotel chains. Also, Salalah Port, completed in 1998, is seen to become one of the world's most important container terminals in coming years.