The Middle East Tourism

As the country’s hosting of several major international sports and business events has brought growing numbers of tourists to Qatar, it has also highlighted the need for infrastructure to accommodate them.

With Muscat having been named the Arab Tourism Capital for 2012 and the country becoming increasingly popular with visitors from around the globe, Oman’s tourism sector is gaining attention from local and international investors who are building new hotel and property developments. To go along with the accommodation offerings, there is also a need for additional entertainment and leisure facilities to fill niche markets and create demand.

Work to build on the emirate’s reputation as a tourist destination by easing visa regulations and encouraging cruise tourism is under way but there are concerns that the European debt crisis and uncertainty regarding the global economic climate have the potential to weaken demand.

Boosting growth in the tourism sector is high on the government’s agenda for 2012, and country officials are working to display the country’s myriad entertainment offerings in a variety of high-profile events even amidst ongoing regional instability.

Long-regarded as an affordable getaway for European tourists seeking the sun in the coastal resorts of Antalya, Bodrum or Marmaris, Turkey is starting to draw rising numbers of visitors from the Middle East region.

Qatar is having marked success in broadening the scope of its tourism industry, attracting an increasing number of business visitors along with a rising tide of tourists coming to enjoy the country’s long list of scheduled events.