Number of Khareef Salalah visitors touches 257,554

MUSCAT — The number of visitors to Dhofar Governorate stood at 257,554 since the start of the field survey on June 21 until August 17 as compared to 389,677 visitors during the same period last year. The fourth bulletin on Khareef Salalah visitors in 2009, published by the National Economy Ministry, showed that the majority of the visitors were from the GCC countries (citizens and expatriates), including the Sultanate. The number of GCC visitors stood at 238,177 (92.48 per cent). The number of Omani visitors to the governorate stood at 145,657, (56.55 per cent). The number of visitors from the UAE stood at 68,838 (26.73 per cent), Saudi Arabia at 14,958, Kuwait 3,312, Qatar 2,839 and 2,573 from Bahrain. The number of Asian visitors to the governorate stood at 13,513, Arab visitors at 3,594 and the Europeans at 1,552. The number of visitors from North and South Americas stood at 454, Oceania 153, and Africa 103. The number of visitors from Muscat governorate stood at 50,349 (34.57 per cent), 34,477 from Al Batinah region (23.67 per cent) and 20,890 (14.34 per cent) from Al Dakhiliyah region. The fourth bulletin also showed that the total number of visitors who arrived in Salalah Airport via domestic and international flights stood at 32,870 (12.76 per cent); domestic flights (9.37 per cent) and international flights (3.39 per cent). The percentage of visitors who arrived via Harait’s border entry stands at 87.24. The survey aims at collecting data to find out the tourism status in the governorate during the Khareef season in order to further develop the tourism sector in the governorate.