About

Summary

Acorn Tourism conducted annual brand awareness research for the Oman Ministry of Tourism’s UK office to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and provide actionable insights for future strategies. The research tracked the perception and awareness of Oman as a tourist destination among UK consumers, profiling core market segments and their travel behaviours.

The findings highlighted Oman’s strengths, challenges, and opportunities, supporting the development of targeted marketing campaigns to enhance the destination’s appeal.

 

Our Approach

Comprehensive Surveys:

• Conducted annual online surveys targeting UK consumers, with a focus on ABC1 demographic groups, potential visitors, and past visitors to Oman.
• Developed detailed questionnaires to evaluate brand awareness, barriers to travel, holiday preferences, and media habits.
• Included a sample of 2,000 consumers and 100 past visitors for in-depth analysis.

Data Collection and Analysis:

• Tracked awareness trends, benchmarked against previous years to assess the impact of marketing campaigns.
• Identified key market segments, their media consumption patterns, and holiday planning behaviours.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborated with the Oman Tourism Office to tailor survey designs and align findings with marketing objectives.
• Delivered a comprehensive report featuring buyer personas, graphic summaries, and recommendations.

 

Outcome

The research provided critical insights into the UK market, including:

• Increased Brand Awareness: Significant growth in awareness of Oman as a destination, outperforming competitors like Qatar and Jordan in key metrics.
• Visitor Profiles: Highlighted the predominance of older, affluent demographics interested in culture, heritage, and authentic Arabian experiences.

Marketing Recommendations:

• Strengthen Oman’s digital presence and leverage online reviews to convert interest into bookings.
• Target partnerships with UK heritage organisations like the National Trust to engage culturally inclined travellers.
• Promote Oman as a family-friendly destination during peak UK holiday periods.
• Continue collaborations with the travel trade to reach undecided travellers.

The findings informed Oman’s UK marketing strategies, helping to position the destination as a unique, high-quality holiday option and driving measurable improvements in brand perception.