Tourism official and operators in Oman expect the number of tourists visiting Oman will increase 11 per cent to 2 million this year, because Gulf residents are looking for less expensive holidays in the region.  Ministry of Tourism head of development Khalid Al Ghassan said “The global crisis has forced Gulf nationals to travel closer from home and Oman is hugely benefiting from it.”  

Al Ghassan said about 1.8 million tourists visited Oman in 2008, and 75 per cent of these were from one of Oman’s five GCC neighbors.  He said the number of GCC visitors during the first half of 2009 totaled 710,000, a six per cent increase compared to last year.