Embassy to host roadshow to promote tourism in India
The roadshow will be held on March 27 at 6pm at the embassy premises in Al Khuwayr.
The roadshow is being organised with a view to familiarise various stakeholders in outbound tourism from Oman with the increasing ease with which people can travel to India as well as the diverse tourist attractions and advanced medical facilities in India, stated a press release.
India and Oman are maritime neighbours, with historical people-to-people contacts, spanning over 5000 years.
The two countries are well-connected through around 400 weekly flights with capacity of 27,405 seats from each side.
Oman Air connects Muscat to 11 cities in India; Salalah is also connected to various Indian cities. People of Oman are generally familiar with India’s natural beauty, rich cultural diversity and historical sites as well as India’s advantage as a premier healthcare destination.
In recent years, India has emerged as one of the coveted destinations for tourism, including medical tourism, for people of Oman. Introduction of e-Visa, whereby people of Oman are able to obtain short-term visas through an online procedure, has also contributed to rise in number of Omanis visiting India. Over the years, the number of visas issued by the embassy has increased from about 59,000 issued in 2013 to 101,578 visas, including 35,920 e-Visas, in 2017. Notably, about 95 per cent of visas issued in 2017 were for tourism and medical tourism purposes.
The embassy has been engaged in various activities for promoting tourism, including medical tourism, from Oman to India. Applications for medical visa are received and processed separately.
The roadshow is expected to be attended by Omani officials and representatives of tour operators, airlines and other stakeholders in Oman, who are involved in facilitating travel of Omani visitors abroad. Representatives of four states of India, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, are expected to participate in the roadshow to make presentation on tourist attractions of their states.
Tour operators, travel agents, airlines and other stakeholders, who want to join India Tourism Roadshow, need to contact the embassy by emailing at [email protected] or dialling 24684517.
