About

Summary

Oman has a rapidly growing tourism sector and the economy is increasingly reliant on inbound visitors to the country.  A new and ambitious tourism master plan had recently been completed for the country, and the requirement for reliable and robust research and statistics relating to the sector was identified.

The aim of this study was to work closely with the Research and Statistics Unit within the Ministry of Tourism to improve the system of tourism statistics, provide training, and assist with the development of a tourism statistics database for the storage, processing and dissemination of data.  The study covered a period of four years, with intermittent visits to Oman so that the various deliverables could be implemented and monitored.

Our Approach

The study had several elements, all of which were delivered working closely with relevant staff within the Ministry of Tourism.  These included:

• Inbound and Outbound Visitor Surveys: update of these surveys, which included revising the questionnaires and implementation methodologies.
• Cruise Visitor Survey: implementation of the first ever cruise visitor survey for Oman.
• Attraction Surveys: evaluation and update of surveys at visitor attractions to measure satisfaction, demographics and trip characteristics.
• Employment, Investment and Collective Consumption: provided assistance with the compilation of tables 7, 8 and 9 of the Tourism Satellite Account.
• Tour Operator Survey: implementation of a qualitative survey to understand the tourist experience in Oman and the challenges faced by tour operators.
• Oman Overseas Office Evaluation: development of a cost-benefit impact model to estimate whether the benefits of Oman’s overseas tourism offices exceeded the cost of running them.
• Tourism Satellite Account Training: delivered comprehensive TSA training to Ministry of Tourism staff on its development and importance.
• Tourism Statistics Database: overseeing the development of an online system for the storage, processing and dissemination of tourism intelligence.

Outcome

The study achieved considerable capacity building amongst Ministry of Tourism staff over the duration of this project.  The Research and Statistics Unit gained several new skills such as the implementation of cruise visitor surveys, which showed that the average spend per cruise passenger visit to Oman was around $100 a day.

The project ensured that a robust tourism statistics database was completed so that Oman could track the sector on a monthly basis, and therefore be able to assist the National  Centre for Statistics and Information with its economic impact work, including the development of the national Tourism Satellite Account.