Oman surges ahead as the Gulf’s odd one out

The Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort (pictured above) on the outskirts of Muscat, the capital of Oman, bustles with visitors even in the midst of the summer heatwave, the white dishdashes of visiting Gulf Arabs complementing the pasty complexions of well-heeled European visitors.

Though global tourism has taken a hit, visitors have continued to flock to Oman. This year they have been joined by a larger-than-usual complement of regional Arabs, deterred from long-haul travel by the recession and concerns over the outbreak of swine flu.

The Omani Tourism Industry estimates that 1.1m tourists visited Oman in the first half of the year, up from 980,000 in the same period last year, according to local media. This has proven a welcome boost to the small Gulf country, where tourism is becoming an increasingly important industry.