We are well into the cruise ship tourist season. In case you
take a walk on the Mutrah Cornish practically any time between 9am and 4pm you'll most probably meet holidaymakers anchored in Muscat for the day.
Hotel operators and owners don’t really like cruise liners
as they are huge floating hotels that don’t bring any value guests
for them. With quite a few of these ships having around 1000 cabins (some have 1500) they typically carry between 1000 and 2500 passengers. No wonder retailers and museums have a different take on this than local hoteliers. The volume these cruise liners create for them can amount up to hundreds of additional clients/guests per day. In 2011 these floating villages have disembarked close to 250,000 visitors in Oman.
Photo: Sebastian Abbot/The Associated Press
Due to their very short length of stay and the fact that they are fully served on the ships, it is very difficult for any destination
to squeeze value out of this transient traffic.
But due to their shier size the industry should focus
more in finding ways to cater for these guests. Here are a few ideas:
- Visitor center for the Al Alam palace and Mirani Fort: there are practically hundreds of visitors daily walking around the palace and its parade square without the opportunity to get any insight into this impressive attraction. While recognizing that public access (even if limited) might not be an option, a visitor center perhaps presenting the story of the Royal Family and the development of the modern Oman would be something relevant.
- Rethinking of the food and retail offering of Mutrah Cornish and Souk. Like I said before, there is a lot more that can be done in that front, especially in terms of Omani cuisine.
- SQ Port area regeneration: to my knowledge a comprehensive re-conceptualization of the port is under way with various versions of a new master plans exiting. It is still unknown (at least to the public) when this is going to materialize. A truly leisure centric regeneration concept with restaurants, cafes, fish market and carefully selected retail outlets (not to jeopardize the offering of the Mutrah Souk) could open up more the purses of these travelers.
- “Truly Arabian show” – a dance and musical hour show around a regional legend or similar topic, focused on artistically showcasing parts of the Arabian culture or history. It could be performed late afternoons at a suitably converted location in Mutrah area
- Lastly a crazier one: cable car to a panoramic viewpoint in Muscat. Could be coupled with a restaurant as well. Using up the natural assets of the city and its surroundings, this feature would be a unique feature in the region.
Photo: Sebastian Abbot/The Associated Press
Some great thoughts here!
ReplyDeleteYou always come up with quality suggestions. SOMEONE HIRE THIS MAN ALREADY!!
ReplyDeleteCheers guys! Great to see that there are people out there liking this. Would even be better to see some of it materializing (although there are bits and pieces that I already saw happening). Thanks God there are critics/skeptics out there as well which tells me it's worth carrying on :)
ReplyDeleteMost of these cruise ships (the weekly round the Gulf ones) offer very low cost accommodation for a week in the sun. Many passengers take the free 'shuttle from ship to port gate and walk the corniche. Check out how many have made a purchase in the souq - and how many sit on the Big Bus and you will have an idea of what their contribution to the local economy is.
ReplyDeleteIts a complicated picture and who is making money and who should be making money also needs to be factored in.
Dubai make its money by having the cruise ships do their weekly passenger change in Port Rashid - airlines and hotels etc get the transfer business - the early bird has well and truly caught the worm.
As you said there has been talk about SQ Port area regeneration for many years. One study was done in 2011 and there seems to be another study underway.
I have one thing to say regarding the cruises. Port SQ has tourist ships only in winter. This is when they count on tourist money. Whatever income comes in is from the odd tourist.
ReplyDeleteWhat happens in the off season? Do the shop keepers just sit and hope? What happens to the market? All the restraunts? The huge buses?
I think whoevers leading the tourism plans for the country has forgot to factor in one important thing: Local 'tourists' per se.
Hehehe I had a nephew who had a job in the tourism Ministry. He has a great position and everything, Even still, no one there took any of his good suggestions seriously and he left to run his own company. Soooo, makes me wonder about Omanly's story;).
ReplyDeleteI'd LOVE a good Omani restaurant on the Corniche. I wish Ubhar had a branch there. I love Mutrah but it just doesn't make sense for the whole Romantic date night meal as food is lacking still. Unless you want curry or a milkshake. Which is kind of teen 'age'.
Princess, I can relate to your nephew's story although mine is little bit different. To paraphrase this post: a 'making the most out of your employee' training would be a must for most employers in this country, government or private sector alike. Perhaps I'll blog more on that insha'allah...
DeleteI would really like corniche to have the feel of something like 'Pike Place Market' in Seattle.. it doesn't buzz only when there are cruise liners, but all the time with the locals enjoying the whole 'market experience' .. I think of Pike Place and corniche as similar as they have a port, fish market and lots of activities which i feel can be developed at corniche..
ReplyDeleteI've grown up at Corniche, but hate going back there because of lack of parking and little to do other than walking on the stretch.
I wouldn't imagine an up-scale restaurant there. Would leave that to the fancier places like Shatti and MQ. There has to be an overall theme, and I hope they have one!
I really like your suggestions, and I wish people were bold and took/executed them.