Muscat: Salalah, the sultanate's subtropical holiday haven in the south of the country, pulled in over a quarter of a million tourists at the height of the khareef (monsoon) holiday season, according to a top Omani government official.
Dr Shaikh Abdul Malik Bin Abdullah Al Hinai, Adviser at the Finance Ministry, said a total of 284,455 people visited Salalah during a four week period extending from July 21 to August 17, 2011.
The figure significantly surpasses last year's turnout of 228,425 visitors, an increase attributed to upheavals around the Middle East that have driven holidaymakers to consider alternative destinations like Salalah.
Tourist arrivals into Salalah typically peak during the mid-July to mid-August period, which marks a high-point in the khareef season.
Mist-shrouded mountains, lush green landscapes and temperate weather offer visitors an escape from the swelter enveloping much of the rest of the Arabian Gulf during this period.
While Omanis accounted for the great majority of holidaymakers in Salalah, travellers from the United Arab Emirates made up the largest bloc of foreign tourists with a contribution of 47,335 visitors (16.6 per cent of the total).
Saudi Arabia was next with 10,940 visitors (or 3.9 per cent of the total). Salalah's khareef holiday season typically winds down by the end of September.
