Four Seasons and Oman Tourism Development Company have announced plans for the new Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences Muscat, located along the Sea of Oman, with a private beach and stunning mountain and sea views.

Having opened in the summer, W Muscat has added a fresh new dynamic to the hospitality scene in Oman. Here Breaking Travel News chats with Gerald Chevasson, general manager of the hotel, about what is on offer at the property, recognition by the World Travel Awards and the future of tourism in the Middle East.

Four Communications has been appointed by the Oman Ministry of Tourism to handle the UK & Ireland public relations in both the MICE and leisure sectors. Four Communications’ key focus will be to heighten awareness of the destination’s excellent offering to the business meetings, incentive, conference, exhibition and international association congress meeting markets.

The opening of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre will significantly boost the meetings sector’s contribution to the Sultanate’s inbound tourism figures, an industry report has claimed. The meetings sector accounted for eight per cent of inbound tourism to Oman in 2011 and is expected to grow to between 12 and 15 per cent in 2014 according to a study of the Sultanate’s hotel industry conducted by Colliers International in November 2013.

Oman expects to open several new hotels and complexes with more than 2,000 resort and hotel rooms to be added in 2013. Oman’s capital city Muscat will see the majority of growth with over 720 new rooms, with the rest spread evenly across the country.

Tourism Under-Secretary Maitha bint Saif al Mahrouqiya has said that the selection of Oman to host a tourism forum organised by Travco Travel company in co-operation with the tourism organisation TUI Swiss and a number of Swiss tourism companies represented by about 160 European agents and offices indicates that the Sultanate has implemented all the standards required for such an event, thanks to active promotion by Oman offices in European in general and in Switzerland in particular.