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Oman Air workshop highlights
Munich’s tourist appeal
Oman travel representatives attending the workshop at Crowne Plaza Muscat.
PICTURE
centre:
Oman Air’s Jamal al Azki addressing the workshop.
PICTURE
left:
Munich Airport’s Florian Pötsch speaks about the gateway’s premier status in
Europe. By A Staff
Reporter
MUSCAT — National carrier
Oman Air hosted on Wednesday a workshop spotlighting one of Europe’s
best-known holiday destinations — Munich, capital of Germany’s State of
Bavarian. The event, attended by representatives of Oman’s travel and
hospitality industry, was organised in collaboration with Munich Airport and
the City of Munich’s Tourism Office. In opening remarks, Jamal al Azki —
District Sales Manager (Oman Air) said the workshop was aimed at boosting
outbound tourist traffic from Oman to Munich, a route presently served by
Oman Air’s brand new Airbus A330 aircraft.
The national carrier, he said, operates daily flights to Germany, including
three weekly flights to Munich and the rest to Frankfurt.
Al Azki also gave an overview of Oman Air’s burgeoning fleet of aircraft,
presently consisting of 15 Boeing 737-800s, two Airbus A330-200s and two
A330-300s. Three additional A330-300s are due for delivery during 2010/11.
As part of its continuing expansion plan, Oman Air has also ordered six
Boeing 787 Dreamliners, scheduled for delivery in 2014, and five small jet-engined
Embraer jets that will join the fleet next year. The official also provided
a snapshot of the comforts, state-of-the-art entertainment, and cuisine
offered onboard Oman Air’s First, Business and Economy Class sections.
Florian Pötsch, Business Division Aviation Head of Incoming and Hub
Marketing at Munich Airport, described Munich as a city with strong appeal
as a holiday destination not only for Omanis but Arab tourists in general.
Sprawling shopping malls made Munich a magnet for shoppers, while its
world-class healthcare institutions helped pull in large numbers of ‘medical
tourists’, he said. Munich Airport is also a convenient gateway into Europe,
providing fast and convenient connections not only to other destinations
within Germany, but to all major cities across the Continent.
As one of the world’s top five gateways, Munich Airport also offers easy
onward connections to destinations in the United States and Asia, Pötsch
added. Compatriot Ralf Zednick, Marketing Director of Sales at the City of
Munich’s Tourism Office, highlighted Munich’s particular appeal with Arab
visitors. The city accounted for a third of all overnight stays by Arab
tourists visiting Germany last year, he said. “Munich’s appeal lies in its
convenient access, wide choice of accommodation — ranging from five-star
properties to budget hotels, low crime rate, lush and unspoilt nature, green
meadows, lakes, and splendid parks.
It also has many attractions for families, including theme parks, and the
famous Oktoberfest — the world’s biggest festival. Furthermore, with its
snow covered mountains and ski resorts, Munich, along with the Bavarian
region, is also a winter wonderland that makes it a fantastic place for
winter travel,” he said. The workshop was followed by a networking session
with members of Oman’s travel trade interacting with representatives of
German companies engaged in providing a variety of tourism related services
in Munich. |
