Tourist attractions are often centered on mega sports events. Since the mega events have the potential to generate new revenue and enhance the appeal of the destination similarly, the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar presented a unique opportunity for Oman to leverage the mega sporting event to promote its tourism industry globally. Oman used this mega event to brand its tourism industry by collaborating with FIFA, hosting fan zones, effectively using social and print media, highlighting accessibility and accommodation, and promoting local tourism attractions. The mega event resulted in increased international arrivals, revenue generation, and an enhanced image of Oman in the Middle East. The chapter is an attempt to explore various initiatives taken by the Sultanate of Oman to attract international visitors. Further details will review the methods adopted by public and private sectors in Oman in leveraging the recent mega event of FIFA World Cup 2022 to become a preferred global destination.
TopIntroduction
Tourist attractions are often centered on mega sports events, and various destinations compete to either host or leverage the most prestigious ones. Hosting the mega-events can significantly spill over goals in terms of the economic benefits and the potential for improved infrastructure and international image. These events have the potential to generate new revenue and enhance the appeal of the destination.
Tourism destination branding attributable to mega events is essential to the tourism industry. Mega events of the Middle East such as FIFA Qatar World Cup 2022, Olympics, Asian Games, Dubai Expo 2020, Qatar International Food Festival, Dubai shopping festival, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Dubai World Cup, Sharjah Light Festival, Salalah Khreef Festival etc., provide destinations with a unique opportunity to enhance their brand identity and image by creating positive publicity and media exposure. Destination managers should carefully plan and manage mega events to align with the destination's branding strategy.
According to Pike and Page (2014), “Events have the potential to create, communicate, and deliver a destination's brand” (p. 133). According to a recent report, Oman is leveraging the upcoming FIFA 2022 Football Cup for destination branding purposes (Smith, 2022). The FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar allows Oman to leverage event tourism for destination branding. As a neighboring country, Oman can benefit from the influx of tourists attending the World Cup by promoting its unique tourist attractions and experiences. So, according to Al-Maamari and Al-Hinai (2021), a long time before, Oman had already begun to develop its tourism infrastructure in anticipation of the World Cup. The country has invested in new hotels and resorts and improved its transportation network to make it easier for visitors to travel between Oman and Qatar. This fact was further confirmed by the case study conducted by Al Mawali and Al Ghaithi in 2021, which also highlighted the upcoming hosting of the 2022 event’s significant impact on the tourism industry in Oman.
Ghimire and Schewe (2017) noted that Qatar is expected to receive many tourists during the event, which could spill over to neighboring countries, including Oman. Additionally, the investment in infrastructure and facilities in Qatar could improve the overall tourism infrastructure in the region, which could benefit Oman (Ratten, 2017). As such, Oman did experience an influx of tourists who sought accommodation, food, and other tourist services and contributed towards tourism development.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar had a positive impact on the tourism industry in Oman. The event increased the number of tourists visiting Oman, generating revenue for the country's tourism industry. The World Cup had also created employment opportunities in Oman. The Sultanate of Oman had successfully leveraged the World Cup to promote its tourism industry and attract more visitors to the country.