Oman plans to step up tourist flow from Russia - deputy minister

MOSCOW. March 12 (Interfax) - Omani authorities see potential in increasing tourist flow from Russia, despite the military conflict in the Middle East, Oman's Undersecretary of Heritage and Tourism Azzan Al Busaidi said on Thursday.

"Despite all the current difficulties, we are very optimistic about the potential for tourist flow growth and will continue to support efforts to develop the market and ensure flight availability," Al Busaidi said at the MITT tourism exhibition in Moscow.

The number of tourists from Russia visiting Oman grew 147% in 2025 compared to the previous year, he said.

"To promote tourism on the Russian market, we launched visa-free travel and developed logistics for trips between Oman and Russia, [such as] direct and charter flights," he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Economic Development Ministry on March 3 recommended that Russian tourists refrain from traveling to the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia due to security risks amid the military conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Around 86,000 Russians visited Oman in 2025.

Last summer, Russia and Oman reciprocally introduced visa-free travel allowing Russian citizens to stay in Oman for up to 30 days without a visa. In December 2025, the national carrier Oman Air launched a first ever charter flight program.