Fourth International Conference on Tourism and Leisure Studies

Abstract

Oman is currently achieving an apparent expansion in its tourism sector, which is not limited to the continuous growth in tourists’ numbers (i.e. 2.3 million in 2017), but also evident in its contribution to the Omani GDP and the development happening in tourism investment, legislation, education, etc. In this regard, Oman’s cultural features have always represented a major part of its attractiveness, allowing Oman to have a place on the list of most evolving tourism destinations in 2017. Comparing to countries such as Egypt, Italy or China, it is hard to claim that Oman is overabundant with archaeological sites; however, Oman is surely one of very few Middle Eastern countries where tourists can still see and live an authentic cultural experience. Unlike other countries, this experience is not artificially created, enhanced or even maintained for tourism purposes, but it is actually the daily life of the majority of the Omani people, who are simply living their traditional cultural and social life until today without major changes. The continuity of this traditional life style has resulted in maintaining a tremendous treasure of intangible heritage including folkloric arts, myths, rituals, traditions and festive events which offers a unique opportunity for tourists to have such live experience. In this context, this paper aims to highlight the uniqueness of the Omani Intangible heritage and examine the cons and pros of inserting it as a major component of the Omani tourism business from different point of views including public and private entities, community and tourists.