SalamAir, in collaboration with Visit Oman and in coordination with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, is expanding its Stopover Programme to attract more visitors to the Sultanate and support growth across the local tourism and hospitality sectors.
The initiative aims to leverage SalamAir’s growing
international network to encourage connecting passengers to stay in Oman and
experience its tourism offerings, supporting the country’s ambition to
strengthen its position as an accessible tourism destination.
As the programme’s first phase, SalamAir has partnered with
its Indonesian general sales agent, PT Salam Aviasi, to introduce dedicated
“Umrah Plus” packages for passengers travelling from Medan to Jeddah via
Muscat.
The packages allow travellers to spend a night in Oman
before continuing to Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
The programme has received an encouraging initial response,
with more than 1,000 passengers confirmed to travel during September and
October, while approximately 6,500 additional passengers are in the pipeline
through February 2027. This represents a potential total of more than 7,500
visitors during the initial phase.
The stopovers are expected to generate economic benefits for
Oman through hotel accommodation, restaurants, transportation, retail, tours
and other tourism services. The initiative also creates opportunities for local
tourism operators, service providers and small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs).
Building on the initial response, SalamAir, Visit Oman and
the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism plan to develop the programme further,
with the aim of extending stays from one night to two or three nights. Enhanced
packages and curated experiences will encourage visitors to spend more time
exploring the country.
The partners will also explore opportunities to promote
Salalah to the Indonesian market, highlighting the Dhofar region’s natural
landscapes, cultural heritage and historical attractions.
Azzan bin Qassim Al Busaidi — Undersecretary for Tourism,
Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, commented: “The Stopover Programme reflects
the importance of collaboration between the aviation and tourism sectors in
supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s tourism ambitions. By encouraging passengers
travelling through Muscat to extend their journey and experience Oman, we can
create new visitor flows, increase tourism spending and generate wider
opportunities across the hospitality, tourism and SME sectors.
“We look forward to developing the programme further and
creating more opportunities for visitors to discover the diversity of
experiences Oman has to offer.”
Yaqoob bin Saif Al Kiyomi, Chief Executive Officer of
SalamAir, said: “At SalamAir, we see every connection through Oman as an
opportunity to introduce more people to our country. Through the Stopover
Programme, we are using our growing network to turn connecting passengers into
visitors, giving them the opportunity to experience Oman as part of their
journey while creating additional value for the tourism and hospitality
sectors.
“The encouraging response from Indonesia demonstrates the
potential of this approach. By working together with the Ministry of Heritage
and Tourism and Visit Oman, we can bring more visitors to the Sultanate,
encourage them to stay longer and discover more of Oman.”
Shabib Mohamed Al Maamari — Managing Director, Visit Oman,
said: “Our role is to make it easy for visitors to turn a stopover into an
opportunity to experience Oman. By bringing together accommodation,
transportation, tours and experiences into attractive packages, we can give
connecting passengers a simple and convenient way to discover the Sultanate
during their journey.
“The initial response from the Indonesian market is very
encouraging, and we see strong potential to build on this by developing longer
stays and introducing visitors to more destinations and experiences across
Oman, including Salalah.”
The expanded programme reflects efforts to turn airline
connectivity into a broader tourism driver, encouraging transit passengers to
discover Oman while supporting local businesses and contributing to the
Sultanate’s tourism development objectives. -TradeArabia News Service