Oman at World Travel Market in London

Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism participated in the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, UK, from November 4-6, 2025.

The World Travel Market is one of the most prominent annual events in the global tourism industry and among the largest international tourism exhibitions. More than 180 countries took part, with more than 80 seminars and workshops, more 34,000 scheduled meetings, and around 50,000 tourism professionals attending over three days.

The event highlighted the latest global tourism trends, including digital innovation, sustainable tourism, and future travel experiences, serving as a vital platform for knowledge exchange and industry foresight.

The Omani delegation included institutions and companies operating in the travel and tourism sector, hotel establishments, and strategic partners, as well as 29 tourism institutions representing hotels, travel agencies, and tourism offices.

Through its participation in the World Travel Market, the Ministry aims to strengthen the Sultanate of Oman’s presence at the world’s largest travel and tourism exhibition and to continue its promotional efforts to position Oman as a leading global and sustainable tourist destination that offers innovative tourism experiences and diverse attractions.

The event also provided an opportunity for Omani tourism companies and institutions—especially small and medium enterprises—to take part in the exhibition and establish direct communication channels with major global tourism companies through the exhibition’s specialised database.

The Ministry seeks to strengthen its strategic partnerships with leading global tourism bodies and organisations, and to deepen cooperation that will boost the tourism sector to record levels of growth. These efforts will directly increase the sector’s contribution to the national economy, build  tourism flows to Oman, and empower companies and establishments operating in the tourism field to deliver high-quality and efficient services.

During the exhibition, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism announced a number of new promotional programmes implemented in cooperation with its strategic partners, as well as several joint initiatives with tourism institutions in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Azan bin Qasim Al Busaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism for Tourism, said that the Ministry’s participation in the World Travel Market is a continuation of its efforts to strengthen Oman’s presence on the global tourism map and to benefit from the exhibition’s activities to showcase the country’s tourism products. He added that this event serves as an important platform for forming partnerships with global travel companies and reinforces Oman’s position as a tourist destination appealing to a diverse range of visitors.

He further explained that such international exhibitions, which attract major tourism institutions and leading media organisations from around the world, are valuable opportunities to highlight Oman’s unique and innovative tourism models. These are shaped by the country’s rich environmental, natural, and geological diversity, making it a distinctive destination that combines a wide range of experiences including adventure, wellness and medical tourism, incentive and conference tourism, wedding tourism, as well as cultural, environmental, and sports tourism.

The Undersecretary added that the Ministry is keen to draw from global experiences in tourism and related sectors to develop local content, encourage community initiatives, and promote the development of tourism products. This includes stimulating the job market, generating economic returns, opening new tourism horizons, and launching integrated packages and programmes of exceptional experiences that make optimal use of Oman’s natural and cultural resources.

The Oman pavilion’s activities included a comprehensive media seminar covering various tourism themes in the Sultanate, attended by international media representatives who were briefed on the latest sector developments. It also featured a media workshop with the national tourism identity team, introducing the visual identity, its symbols, meanings, and media messages, along with the launch of a dedicated video to highlight Oman’s authentic values and reinforce its position as a leading regional and global tourism and investment destination.

The pavilion also showcased a variety of new tourism projects and initiatives, attracting strong interest on the first day from representatives of travel and tourism companies and the media. Numerous bilateral meetings were held with representatives of participating countries to explore opportunities for tourism cooperation and discuss potential partnerships.

Ahmed bin Ali Al Mahrouqi, Vice President for Sales at Oman Air, noted that Oman Air’s participation in the London World Travel Market underscores the institutional integration between the airline, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, and other partners in the travel and tourism sector, all working towards achieving national goals and vision. Through this participation, Oman Air highlighted its products, routes, and recently launched destinations, most notably the reinstatement of its second daily flight to London.  The event also provided opportunities to meet aviation partners and explore new avenues of collaboration.

Engineer Ahmed Al Amri, CEO of Oman Airports, stated that Oman Airports used this global event to showcase its achievements and successes as a key driver of Oman’s economic and developmental growth.

Shabib bin Mohammed Al Ma’amari, General Manager of the National Travel Operator, stated that its participation in the World Travel Market reflects the company’s commitment to linking Omani travel and tourism service providers, including small and medium enterprises, to global booking platforms.

He explained that the Visit Oman digital platform offers more than 320 unique tourism experiences in collaboration with more than 200 service providers, helping enhance global access to Omani tourism products. He added that the company has recently signed several international and regional agreements and established a series of strategic partnerships aimed at expanding digital distribution, improving the visitor travel experience, and facilitating booking and travel procedures.

A highlight of Oman’s pavilion was the Omani Culinary Arts Corner, part of the Gastronomy and Culinary Tourism programme launched by the Ministry two years ago. The corner featured initiatives introducing visitors to Omani cuisine and developing chefs’ skills in creating and preparing dishes.

The Ministry also held a joint press conference with the global Ironman Group to announce a strategic partnership aimed at establishing Oman as a leading global destination for adventure and sports tourism. Under this partnership, the Sultanate will host a series of major international championships over the coming years.

This initiative marks a major step forward in investing in sports tourism in line with Oman Vision 2040, which aims to diversify income sources, enhance Oman’s global presence, and leverage its advanced infrastructure and unique natural and environmental assets.