Oman’s star-rated hotels report 12.7% revenue growth in early 2025

OMAN – Oman’s 3- to 5-star hotels generated OMR59 million (US$153 million) in revenue by the end of February 2025, reflecting a 12.7% rise from OMR52 million (US$135 million) during the same period in 2024, according to the National Centre for Statistics and Information.

Hotel revenues in Oman surged by the end of February 2025, supported by a 3.6% rise in guest numbers, reaching 458,433 compared to 442,468 during the same period in 2024.

Hotel occupancy rates also improved, rising from 60.8% in February 2024 to 67.9% in February 2025, an increase of 11.7%.

The growth was largely driven by an uptick in international visitor arrivals. The number of tourists from the Americas rose by 9.2% to 16,130, while arrivals from Africa surged by 55% to 3,244.

Visitors from Asia increased by 8.1%, totaling 60,375, and those from Oceania climbed 53.4% to reach 9,735. European visitors, the largest source market, rose by 8.7% to 173,455.

Guests from GCC countries also grew, increasing by 6.5% to 27,505. However, there was a slight decline of 3.1% in Omani hotel guests, who totaled 137,465.

In anticipation of further tourism activity, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has initiated an assessment of hospitality readiness in Dhofar ahead of the upcoming khareef season.

The initiative focuses on enhancing service quality and ensuring full compliance with regulatory standards.

Officials have been conducting inspections and consultations across licensed establishments in the governorate.

On Monday, an introductory workshop was held at Al Baleed Archaeological Park in Salalah, where operators were briefed on ministry expectations.

Topics covered included service standards, complaint resolution processes, and promotional strategies aligned with the monsoon season.

Attendees were also introduced to the ‘Tajawub’ platform, a digital tool designed to manage complaints and respond to tourism-related queries.

Khalid bin Abdullah al Abri, Director General of Heritage and Tourism in Dhofar, said the workshop formed part of the ministry’s broader strategy to raise service benchmarks.

He noted that Dhofar currently has 80 licensed hospitality establishments and projected this number to grow to 120 by the end of 2025.

Abri also explained that the ministry has developed a promotional plan in collaboration with local tourism offices, airlines, and car rental providers.

The 2025 khareef season, running from June 21 to September 21, is expected to build on strong momentum after receiving over 1 million visitors in 2024.

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