Muscat : Yacht tourism is vital for boosting marine tourism in the Sultanate of Oman. It is an important factor for developing the tourism sector, as it significantly attracts tourists looking for exceptional experiences to explore the diverse marine life on the coasts of the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Dimaniyat Islands, Bandar Al-Khiran area and other tourist sites. Captain Majid bin Saif Al Barhi, Director General of Marine Affairs at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, said that yacht tourism is one of the most prominent attractions in marine tourism, as it provides an opportunity to explore the Omani coasts and enjoy watching wildlife, geological formations and marine life in its various forms.
Al Barhi added that the Muscat Governorate is witnessing a significant increase in this type of tourism, as the number of tourist yachts in Muscat Governorate has reached about 500, which reflects the growth of this sector, due to the clean beaches and the availability of modern marinas in the governorate. Currently there are 6 marinas and more modern marinas are to be established, noting that the General Directorate of Marine Affairs is constantly monitoring trips to ensure the safety of users, especially during peak seasons. It also plans to develop the sector by using clean energy tourist yacht technologies and improving the level of beaches to meet the needs of tourists, as it is studying a project to use clean energy on tourist yach.