Omran, Oman’s master developer for tourism and urban communities, confirmed it is sponsoring the Condé Nast International Luxury Conference (CNI) as the world renowned event comes to Oman for the first time.
The prestigious luxury brands conference will take place at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort and Spa on April 5 and 6 this year, and will be held under the title of ‘Mindful Luxury: navigating the new silk routes’. Omran’s Mina Al Sultan Qaboos Waterfront development joins Oman Air and Place Vendome as lead partners for the event.
Commenting on the significance of Oman hosting the conference, James Wilson, CEO of Omran, said: 'Oman is a destination synonymous with rich heritage, robust cultural roots and a strong sense of identity, and this was a source of inspiration when Condé Nast looked to find the next host destination for its International Luxury Conference. Omran has joined with key partners to host and welcome the event to Oman, and this showcases our efforts in working together towards a collaborative, consistent approach as to how Oman is marketed and positioned outside the Sultanate. Such a globally renowned event is an ideal opportunity for all the major organisations and top luxury brands in Oman to work together to market the Sultanate in a unified way as a unique destination.'
The event attracts 500 top-level attendees from 30-plus countries. The luxury conference is the most significant conference for the luxury and fashion industries, and brings together decision-makers and innovators from both the business and the creative sides.
OCEC OPENS
Business travel to the Sultanate is set to get a major boost following the opening of the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre late last year. This follows the commitment of Ministry of Tourism towards enhancing Mice sector, a major pillar in the country’s tourism strategy for 2040.
Khalid Al Zidjali, head of Oman Convention Bureau, said, 'The Ministry’s initiative in establishing the Oman Convention Bureau under its supervision is a milestone towards building a foundation and achieving our objectives in the Mice tourism sector. We will be working as a specialised team to enhance this sector and regulate the processes, and use various external channels to promote Mice internationally. The bureau also aims to maintain a healthy atmosphere that supports all institutions and organisations working in the sector to host events and promote the Sultanate. The Bureau will actively market tourism packages to the global corporates.'
The Oman Convention Center will include theatres, conference rooms, four hotels with almost 1000 rooms, and major exhibition halls to cater to thousands of participants at the same time.
Oman’s allure as a destination continues to grow – the Sultanate was ranked 9th in terms of safety and security by the World Economic Forum in its latest biennial Travel and Tourism report. In total, Oman saw about 2.4 million tourists visit the country in 2015 and the ambitious new tourism strategy for Oman plans to grow international visitor numbers to 5.3 million by 2040.