Destination Lifecycle Report

Destination Lifecycle Report

1. Destination

The tourism industry remains the largest sector globally. Besides, the tourism sector is considered as the backbone of economic development in countries such as Bangkok, Dubai, Oman, and Singapore. Oman, currently the second-largest nation bordering the Middle East, is endowed with a wealth of natural resources. On the other hand, Oman is bordered with one of the longest coastlines that are surrounded by pristine beaches, world best rolling sand dunes, deserts, and beautiful mountains. Breathtaking Musundun equally surrounds the tourist destination within the Khasab region and Khereef festivals of the Salalah, as listed by UNESCO (Rai Utama, 2014). Oman is one, therefore, belongs to the best nations globally, providing one of the best tourist destinations.

2. Destination Lifecycle Model and Oman

2.1 Exploration

As provided in the model, several adventurous and hardy tourists often consider this nation as a holiday plan. The tourists find Oman as one of the special places given the natural sceneries, culture, as well as the history of the landscape of the nation (Rai Utama, 2014). The local populations of Oman are equally involved in tourist activities in a bid to generate income. The rich culture of the region acts as an attraction to several tourists.

2.2 Involvement

Given the impact of tourism in building the economy of Oman, the local populations have realized its benefits. In this regard, the locals have taken notice of several tourists visiting the area (Tewari, 2019). In an effort aimed at tapping from the industry, the locals resorted to the development of transport systems, food eateries, and accommodation facilities. The efforts of the locals contribute immensely to the growth of tourism within the region.

2.3 Development

Several organizations have taken over the center stage in tapping on the potentials of Oman as one of the tourist destinations. Organizations have, therefore, resorted to investing in this nation. Companies and brands are currently developing hotel complexes to sell packages for holidays, packages that include accommodations, travel, excursions, and food. As established, such efforts contribute to the growth of tourists in a massive way (Hovinen, 2002). Given this, Oman has, over the past, witnessed an expansion in job opportunities and the number of local and international guests visiting the destination.

2.4 Consolidation

            As provided in the destination lifecycle model,  the local economy of Oman is widely dominated by the foreign exchange earner—tourism. Several of the local populations make resources and money from the industry. Given this, people have made movements from fishing and farming with the intent of investing in the industry (Hovinen, 2002). The continual expansion of tourism in Oman continues to frustrate the growth of other industries. However, some of the institutions and the facilities within the industry may tend to grow old, resulting in low-quality service delivery and client vase.

2.5 Stagnation

As the industry faced plateaued growth, competition emanates from other industries and other tourist destinations. The growth of competition results in the loss of the destination’s original taste and features. Features such as overcrowded beaches may result in a hindered growth process (Ahn & Yu, 2019). The number of tourists visiting the destination may begin to dwindle, thus threatening the local services and businesses.

2.6 The Decline of the Rejuvenation Phase

In this phase, Oman may face a decline in several aspects of rejuvenation, such as the growth of the industry. The decline may tend to be rapid or slow as the destinations regular visitors may be replaced with other people that seek day-trippers and cheap destinations (Ahn & Yu, 2019). The process of rejuvenation, therefore, requires the government of Oman to inject cash in the industry. Investment in the industry would result in the creation of new modes of attraction in the industry in an effort aimed at boosting the popularity of the destination.

3. Tourism Trends in Oman

Oman’s efforts to attract more guests to its tourist destination has seen the nation make significant efforts. The nation’s Western Hajar Mountains—a destination for international significance given its cultural heritage and natural features due to geotourism play a significant role in the trends of the nation. Al Jabal Al Akhdar currently remains the nation’s popular tourist destination. Al Jabal Al Akhdar was until over the recent past considered as the least visited destination in Oman. The region is considered for its plateaus—the Saiq plateaus that are isolated within the mountainous regions (Busaidi et al., 2018). However, the nations resorted to marketing the destination following the construction of a sealed 4WD road that increased several visitations from 45,000 to 98,000—a growth of close to 46%. The prospects of this destination have significantly increased, with this attributed to the consideration of the region as a short-break tourist destination.

Al Jabal Al Akhdar region is equally rich in cultural heritage. Besides this, the area is equally known for its villagers as well as its extensive terraced mountains and gardens. The communities within the region rely on agricultural practice and traditional handicrafts for sustenance during off-peak seasons (Busaidi et al., 2018). Al Jabal Al Akhdar region is equally bordered with one of the longest coastlines that are surrounded by pristine beaches, world best rolling sand dunes, deserts, and beautiful mountains. Breathtaking Musundun similarly surrounds the tourist destination within the Khasab region and Khereef festivals of the Salalah.

References

Ahn, D., & Yu, S.-H. (2019). The Influence of Tourist Destination Familiarity on Tourist Destination Image, Tourist Destination Trust, and Tourist Destination Loyalty. Journal of Tourism and Leisure Research, 31(9), 99–119. https://doi.org/10.31336/jtlr.2019.9.31.9.99

Busaidi, M. A., Bose, S., Claereboudt, M., & Tiwari, M. (2018). Sea turtles tourism in Oman: Current status and prospects. Tourism and Hospitality Research, 146735841775102. https://doi.org/10.1177/1467358417751026

Hovinen, G. R. (2002). Revisiting the destination lifecycle model. Annals of Tourism Research, 29(1), 209–230. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0160-7383(01)00036-6

Rai Utama, I. G. B. (2014). Destination Loyalty Model of Elderly Foreign Tourists Visiting Bali Tourism Destination. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2531529

Tewari, V. (2019). Seasonality in Tourism: The Case of Oman. Ottoman Journal of Tourism and Management Research, 4(2), 463–476. https://doi.org/10.26465/ojtmr.201833952