Oman: Growing at a Slower Pace

Tourism can be a great thing, but when there is too much tourism it can actually have an adverse effect on a country. One major concern is that too much tourism could impact a country’s culture and way of life. A few countries are considering regulating tourism to be sure that the national way of life is preserved. One of these countries is Oman.

Oman is an Arab state located near Saudi Arabia and Yemen. It is officially known as the Sultanate of Oman. This beautiful country has recently developed a plan to avoid ‘mass market’ tourism which could possibly attract flocks of tourists from around the world. Why would they want to do this?  In a public address, the Sultan Qaboos bin Said told his people that he wants to preserve the authentic Arabic culture that makes Oman so unique by controlling the amount of tourists that enter Oman. He hopes to achieve this by also controlling the number of available hotel room for travelers to stay. Oman welcomes tourism and wants to grow, but it wants to grow at a slower pace. Ideally, the Oman experience would remain consistent for each generation who visit.

This might be a good tactic to keep the way of life in Oman traditional and simplistic. There are many traditional villages in Oman that might be influenced by a surge of tourism. It would be a shame to change the innocence of villages like Al Ashkhara and Qannah. Also, the historic cultural sites in the country will remain unchanged by the money that mass tourism might bring.

I might seem like an unorthodox decision, but the Sultan Qaboos bin Said has developed a plan to welcome tourists from all over the world, but also protect the culture and traditions that make Oman a special place.