Dubai - MENA Herald: The Ministry of Tourism, Oman – along with its partners Oman Air and Oman Sail – is hosting an exciting two-day consumer event at the Dubai Mall to showcase Oman as a premier sailing destination in the region on 28 and 29 January.
With its rich maritime heritage, Oman is already a regular destination on the global sailing circuit and has frequently hosted international sailing events – including the 2015 Laser Radial Women’s World Championship in Al Mussanah and the Extreme Sailing Series in Muscat.
Oman is taking itself to the next level as one of a handful of sailing venues around the world to host a qualifying round of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series for the first time on 27 and 28 February.
To help promote the prestigious event the Oman Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with Oman Air, has announced some attractive all-inclusive holiday packages for the GCC market. The objective is to encourage UAE residents to visit neighbouring Oman and enjoy what promises to be a thrilling international sporting event against a unique cultural backdrop.
H.E. Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Under-Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Oman said: “We are delighted to host the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in February as Muscat will be one of a select number of global sailing destinations identified as having the ideal sailing conditions and onshore infrastructure to host the world’s best yachts and sailors.
“It will help further raise Oman’s profile at the international and regional level and we are excited to showcase some of the unique attributes that Oman has to offer to visitors from the UAE and beyond. With its proximity to the UAE, Oman is a perfect weekend getaway for families, honeymooners, adventure and cultural enthusiasts seeking true Arabian hospitality.
“We have developed a series of interactive promotional activities to engage with our guests from the UAE and we hope they enjoy this two-day activity at the Dubai Mall - one of Dubai’s most iconic attractions.
“These feature a mix of educational and engaging activities lined up – including a customised game that offers information about Oman’s sailing heritage and the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. We are also running a raffle draw where one lucky family of four will stand a chance to visit Oman to experience the sultanate’s incredible beauty and heritage.”
In addition to the grand raffle draw, there will be other exciting prizes to be won. The Oman Ministry of Tourism is also developing an iPad application to showcase the destination to a wider audience in the GCC through a series of key topics – including nature, adventure, heritage and culture.
Oman’s maritime heritage is an important part of the government’s overall strategy for tourism. Oman Sail, the country’s pioneering national initiative, was created to contribute to the socio-economic development of Oman through sailing, rekindle the country’s maritime heritage and to raise awareness of the Sultanate of Oman as a high end tourism destination around the world.
Since 2008, Oman Sail has been running sailing programmes for thousands of young Omani women and men, won multiple sailing competitions and earned two sailing world records for the country. In addition, Oman Sail has hosted multiple sailing championships in Oman attracting hundreds of the world’s best sailors to the country, making maritime sports a very important part of the overall master plan for tourism in the country.
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series is a racing circuit featuring the best sailors in the world, competing on foiling, wing sailed catamarans. The qualifying stages of the competition began in 2015 and will continue in various locations around the world in 2016 culminating in the finals in Bermuda in 2017.
