Sustainable Destination Management
Strategies in the OIC Member Countries
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Five World Heritage Sites were designated by the UNESCO in the Sultanate of Oman: Bahla Fort
of the Nabhani Dynasty, the archeological sites of al Bat, al Ayn, and al Khutm, the Land of
Frankincense, the Aflaj irrigation systems, and the ancient city of Qalhat.181 Each destination is
a significant historical attraction that draws visitors beyond the appeal of Muscat, Oman’s capital
city. UNESCO designation ensures protection of historically significant sites and funding to
maintain them.
Omran actively creates tourism experiences while upholding its established Sustainability
Framework focused on four core categories: Economy, Society, Environment, and Cultural
Heritage. Though no current government legislation exists to mandate sustainable construction,
operations, or energy use, in 2012 Omran committed to ensuring that all of Omran’s construction
projects are designed to meet the criteria for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design
(LEED) certification by the United States Green Building Council. Additionally, all future Omran
properties must promote of domestic tourism, be designed with interiors that are a modern
expression of Omani architecture and decorated by art from Omani artisans and include
environmental stewardship initiatives.182 The relative newness of LEED and sustainability in
Oman requires creativity and innovation in finding solutions to environmental challenges. For
example, recycling facilities are far and few between; therefore, hotels located outside of city
centers need to find their own approach to recycling and reusing segregated waste streams.8
Because of Oman’s intensely hot summers, the peak tourist season is well-defined from
November to March, though year-round in Salalah, Oman’s southernmost governorate. During
the low season, domestic tourism is promoted through discounted hotel stays, holiday packages,
and the sale of day passes to the country’s most coveted resorts. An Oman Experience Agency is
planned to conceptualize and direct the growth and marketing of premium tourist experiences
that are authentic, attractive, and complementary to create extraordinary value for guests,
residents, and the enterprises that unite them. The Signature Experiences Program (SEP) will
ensure that affiliates who receive this designation deliver a consistently superior product and
tourism experience across the board, as well as an Oman Tourism Services Quality Unit that will
develop an Oman Tourism Quality Assurance Framework that recognizes achievement and
quality improvements in the tourism sector. To market this evolving structure, a Visit Oman
Marketing Agency will be aligned with the Oman Tourism Strategy and join the ranks as a world-
class marketing platform.10
Recognizing the importance of ensuring local community well-being, the rate of Omanization or
the percentage of Omani nationals employed by a business is used as an indicator of
sustainability. As a nationwide strategy to up-skill the Omani workforce, there are required
percentages of employment for Omani nationals in various sectors. Omran continues to improve
their Omanization rate, as well as their percentage of procurement spending on locally-based
suppliers and CSR programs embedded in every project. Furthermore, through a program called
Intajee, Omran assists farmers in strengthening their market presence and positioning them as
suppliers for major tourism developments. Greenhouses were provided, as well as training and
crop selection, to ensure that farmers of host communities directly meet the needs of
neighboring resorts, thereby ensuring fresh and locally grown produce for hotel guests and a
direct market supply chain for the farmers.
181 UNESCO (n.d.). Website. Retrieved from
182 Issuu. (2014). Omran's 2nd sustainability report. Retrieved from
en.