Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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Sustainable Destination Management
Destination Governance
Initially, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry oversaw tourism operations but in 2004, the
Ministry of Tourism (MoT) was established and strong legislature supportive of tourism was
enacted like approving visas on arrival and conceptualizing laws for foreign ownership and
investment. There is currently no distinct DMO in Oman. The MoT is currently responsible for
destination management, however, there is a plan to create a new DMO according to the Oman
Tourism Strategy. The MoT has five distinct Directorate Generals: Planning, Following Up and
Information; Administration and Financial Affairs; Investors and Quality Control; Tourism
Promotion and Tourism Development.179
The Directorate General of Planning, Following Up, and Information is primarily responsible for
the overall tourism strategy, reviewing project plans from all Directorate Generals, researching
and implementing strategies in line with the sector’s objectives. The Directorate General of
Administration and Financial Affairs participates in strategy development while proposing and
implementing administrative and financial rules and regulations, monitoring the Omanization
process in the tourism sector, and receiving guests and delegations of the Ministry. The
Directorate General of Investors and Quality Control designs, plans, approves, and implements
quality control throughout the tourism sector, issues licenses for tourism services, monitors
compliance with the Ministry’s rules and regulations, facilitates investment opportunities and
incentives, and collects relevant feedback from citizens, tourists, and related companies. The
Directorate General of Tourism Promotion works in tandem with related parties to promote
tourism in Oman, tailors promotional tools to identified target audiences, establishes and
operates the tourismCall Center and prepares events to stimulate tourism in low season periods.
The Directorate General of Tourism Development ensures compatibility of tourism products,
sets specifications for consultancy work for government tourism projects, supervises the castles
and forts handled by the Ministry, and monitors their maintenance and development.
Figure 13: Oman - Ministry of Tourism
Source: Oman Ministry of Tourism Website
179 Sultanate of Oman (n.d.). Website. Retrieved from