• April 29, 2025

Shifting Perceptions: Highlights from our Oman future focus panel

Shifting Perceptions: Highlights from our Oman future focus panel

Shifting Perceptions: Highlights from our Oman future focus panel 1024 684 micebook.

At the recent micebook Shadow Board Development Retreat in Oman, five agencies were represented on a panel during our Oman Convention Bureau Round Table. 

Parallel Blue’s Tamsin Grainger, Your Event Solutions’ Ruth Nelson, Powwow Events’ Imogen Bell, Goose Live Events’ Rebecca Whittles, and Leah Fraser from Opus, were joined by Pure Arabia’s Eslam Badwani and Khalid bin Walid Al Zadjali, director of the Oman Convention Bureau. Moderated by micebook CEO Chetan Shah, the panel discussed how Oman can grow its business tourism sector and attract a wider audience to this stunning Arabian paradise. 

Other Oman-based properties and industry suppliers were invited to attend, contribute their own questions, and participate in a short networking session afterwards.

The panel kicked off discussing whether there were any times in the calendar year to avoid – and Ramadan in particular came into conversation. Khalid led the response, explaining that Ramadan can actually be a great time for clients to visit. 

Hotels continue to provide full F&B services throughout the day, and guests can still enjoy city-based activities. He emphasised the heightened atmosphere during the holy month, with beautiful decorations and a strong sense of community, especially during the evening Iftar, when Muslims break their fast with a festive meal.

This naturally led into a conversation about sustainability within the destination. A sales representative from the JW Marriott began by highlighting their reusable water bottle initiative. This was followed by discussion around marine and wildlife conservation efforts at the Shangri-La, organic gardens, eco-lodge redevelopment, green hotels, and surplus food donations to the Oman Foodbank across various other hotel properties. 

The panel recommended creating a ‘Sustainability One-Pager’ to accompany their sales decks, noting that clear communication about sustainable practices is essential for clientele. The foodbank initiative, in particular, adds meaning and helps clients to feel as though they are giving back, which can offer a unique wow factor to help secure business.

One panellist then posed the question to the Oman CVB: “How do we break stereotypes about Middle Eastern culture?” This sparked a passionate response from the room. Discussions highlighted Omani Women’s Day, the prominent roles of women in the workplace and government, and the fact that Oman is ranked as the second safest country in the world. 

By shaping conversations and providing fact-based information, we can help shift outdated perceptions and encourage more people to experience Oman’s welcoming culture first-hand.

The session concluded with the question: “How will you go back and encourage your clients to consider Oman?” The panellists agreed that the element of surprise can be incredibly powerful. With its rich cultural experiences, stunning landscapes, and air of exclusivity, Oman is an ideal destination for clients who want to be ahead of the curve. 

Furthermore, the ongoing sustainable development, both environmental and social, is increasingly important to today’s clients. The proposed sustainability one-pagers and continued open communication between the destination and agencies will play a key role in encouraging more clients to explore all that Oman has to offer and embrace Arabian culture.

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