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Muscat: Oman is emerging as a new destination in the Middle East for European tourists, according to an official from the Netherlands' KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
"The dramatic expansion plans in Oman, especially in the tourism sector, are one of the reasons that prompted us to resume our flights from Muscat after over five years," the company's senior vice-president Bram Graber said.
Graber spoke to Gulf News following the announcement of the resumption of KLM flights between Muscat and Amsterdam on Sunday.
"We don't have data to quantify, but the inbound tourist traffic from Europe to Oman has significantly multiplied in recent years thus increasing business prospects for airlines, including European carriers," he said.
Graber said he was convinced after talks with officials in Oman, including a minister, that the country was keen to attract more tourists.
"The proposed projects and availability of more hotel rooms in the country indicate that the prospects for the tourism industry in Oman are very bright and so are for the airline industry," he said.
He also said that awareness about Oman as a different tourist destination was also fast spreading in Europe. "More and more people want to come here to see a different country and a different culture," he said.
"The Middle East in general is very important for the airline business and we want to be part of this growing market," added Ron Schipper, KLM's vice-president for Africa and Middle East.
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