The Minister of Heritage and Tourism emphasized the importance of prioritizing local content in hotel establishments to achieve sustainability and enrich local communities and markets. The Forum for Enhancing the Competitiveness of National Products and Services in Hotel Establishments, organized by the Ministry during the period of 8th -9th May, focused on placing local content within the evaluation indicators of hotel establishments. This is crucial in reviving traditional heritage and enriching visitor experiences in Oman. Fruitful partnerships between all parties in the hotel sector will contribute to maximizing local content, creating job opportunities, and achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040.
The Minister highlighted the need to pay attention to tourism sector policies, maximize local content, and strengthen local communities and the national product. It’s important to partner with sector chains and focus on local content to meet the criteria for evaluating hotel establishments. The tourism sector is steadily growing, and practices like medical tourism, adventure tourism, and natural tourism play a role in enhancing the tourist experience. The Forum emphasized aspects that enrich local content, such as government procurement policies, and the localization of local content.
Dr. Rashid Al Hinai, Director General of Planning at the Ministry, emphasized the importance of aligning with international standards for sustainable tourism practices. Oman Vision 2040 aims for economic diversification and sustainable development by promoting tourism as a key driver of economic growth and job creation. Prioritizing value within the country, supporting local communities, and preserving cultural and natural heritage are key goals of this vision. Local value refers to the economic benefits generated locally through tourism activities, including employment opportunities, local purchases, and revenue retention.
During the forum, working papers were presented on topics such as policies and laws related to government procurement in local content, the experience of localizing local products in hotel establishments, and initiatives to enhance the competitiveness of the national food product. Emphasis was placed on cooperation in the local content file, exchanging knowledge, and benefiting from existing experiences locally and internationally to maximize the tourism industry’s potential and enrich local institutions. Overall, the forum highlighted the importance of maximizing local content in hotel establishments to achieve sustainability and contribute to Oman’s economic and social development goals.
