Oman Tourism organizes a networking evening for corporates and wedding planners

by  Dharm Patel Industry Watch | March 9, 2015 | News

Oman Tourism

In order to promote Oman as a MICE and wedding destination in the Indian market, the Sultanate of Oman, Ministry of Tourism recently organized a networking evening Titled ‘Discover the Opulence of Oman: The Emerging MICE and Wedding Destination’ at The Trident in Mumbai.

Over 70 representatives from the FMCG, insurance, banking and healthcare sectors attended the event where Oman’s diverse landscape, rich heritage and culture, state-of-the-art infrastructure, museums and shopping options were showcased.

The evening also saw a panel discussion being held on the USP of an emerging destination for organizing MICE events and destination weddings. The panelists consisted of Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, Ministry of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman; Sushil Wadhwa, Founder & CMD, Platinum World Group; Hriday Daswaney, Director, Viwaha Dreamz and Bhupesh Kumar, Senior Vice President, Aon Global Insurance Brokers while the moderator of the session was Sheldon Santwan, Editor, TravelBiz Monitor.

Speaking on the occasion, Lubaina Sheerazi, India Representative, Ministry of Tourism, Sultanate of Oman said: “Oman is a short-haul destination being just three hours away from India and is an unexplored, quaint and beautiful destination in the Middle East. It is a destination for the discerning and evolved travelers who want to experience something uniquely different. Oman has a beautiful communion of modernism and old-world charm that gives the country its unique character.”

Talking about why Oman will appeal to the corporates in India, Sushil Wadhwa, Founder & CMD, Platinum World Group said: “Many corporates who have done several international trips are looking for new destinations and Oman meets this criterion and also offers some new experiences. Good venues to host events and great connectivity with India make Oman an ideal destination for corporates.”

Commenting on destination weddings, Hriday Daswaney, Director, Viwaha Dreamz said: “Every family that is planning a wedding is looking to do something different. This is the main factor why families are moving towards destination weddings. They are trying to find new destinations where people have never been to as guests lose interest in coming for a wedding if it’s a destination they have already travelled. For guests it becomes an all-in-one holiday where they may even extend a couple of days before or after the wedding and enjoy the destination. From that perspective Oman is brilliant for weddings as it gives the entire ‘new feel’ to destination weddings.”

As a country filled with beautiful mountains, valleys, caves, deserts and beaches, Oman is a great destination for adventure lovers. Different regions in Oman are popular for varied activities. Muscat can be explored for dolphin watching, sailing, golfing, shopping; Nizwa boasts of forts and traditional souks; Daymaniyat Islands are famous for snorkeling and scuba diving; Masirah Island is an excellent place for kite surfing; Jabal Shams (also known as Grand Canyon of Middle East) is famous for hiking and trekking trips; Salalah has some good places for bird watching while sand dune bashing, quad biking can be experienced in Sharqiyah Sands.

Oman has several world renowned hotel brands that are located along the length and breadth of the country.  The destination is well connected with India as many airlines like Oman Air, Air India, Jet Airways, Spice Jet, IndiGo and Air India Express offer direct flights. These airlines connect Muscat with 11 Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad. Oman visa too can be easily obtained within four to five working days.