Oman has quietly become one of the most talked-about travel destinations in the world for 2026. Muscat has been named a trending destination by 79 per cent of travellers surveyed across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and visitor numbers in the Sultanate grew by 12.6 per cent in the first two months of 2026 — reaching 752,474 arrivals compared to 668,205 in the same period last year, even as regional geopolitical complexity affected some neighbouring markets.
The reasons are not hard to find. Oman offers something increasingly rare in an over-documented, over-photographed world: authentic culture, extraordinary natural landscapes, genuine hospitality, and a pace of life that invites travellers to slow down rather than tick boxes. It is, as seasoned GCC travellers will tell you, the Gulf’s best-kept secret — though the secret is getting out fast.
Muscat: Ancient Capital, Modern Ambition
The capital Muscat stretches dramatically along a coastline of volcanic mountains and turquoise sea, with whitewashed low-rise architecture and a strict aesthetic code that has kept the city visually coherent and beautiful in a way that more rapidly developed Gulf capitals are not. The Royal Opera House Muscat — an architectural masterpiece in Islamic style hosting an extraordinary international performing arts calendar — is one of the finest venues of its kind in the Arab world. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, with its 90-metre minaret and vast marble-floored courtyard, draws visitors from around the world as one of the most beautiful mosques ever built.
Muscat Nights 2026: Festival of Light, Culture and Entertainment
The Muscat Nights 2026 festival, which began in January and runs through the first half of the year, has drawn over two million visitors to venues across the city including Al Qurum Natural Park, Al Amerat Public Park and the Royal Opera House. The 2026 edition builds on the record-breaking success of Muscat Nights 2025 — which welcomed 1.7 million visitors — with an expanded programme of concerts, cultural performances, outdoor dining experiences and light installations across multiple outdoor sites.
Beyond the Capital: Oman’s Natural Wonders
Oman’s greatest travel asset may be its extraordinary and largely undiscovered natural geography. The Wahiba Sands — a sea of red and golden dunes extending 180 kilometres — offers one of the finest desert experiences in the Arabian Peninsula, with overnight bedouin-style camps delivering a star-filled night sky unmatched anywhere in the region. The Wadi Shab trail in the Ash Sharqiyyah region leads hikers through palm-fringed gorges to a hidden emerald pool — a scene more reminiscent of Southeast Asia than the Arabian Gulf.
The Musandam Peninsula — separated from the rest of Oman by UAE territory — is a dramatic fjord landscape of limestone cliffs plunging into the crystal-clear Strait of Hormuz. Accessible as a day trip or weekend from Dubai, Musandam offers dhow boat trips, snorkelling with dolphins and some of the most spectacular diving in the region. Salalah in the south, transformed by the summer khareef monsoon into a lush green highland, draws tens of thousands of visitors each July and August seeking cool mists, waterfalls and frankincense markets.
114 New Hotels Opening by 2027
Oman’s hospitality sector is undergoing rapid expansion to absorb growing visitor demand. 114 new hotels are scheduled to open between 2026 and 2027, following a period in which the number of hotel establishments grew from 1,022 to 1,368 between 2024 and 2025. The government’s Oman Tourism Strategy targets 11.4 million annual visitors by 2040 under Vision 2040, with investment in sustainable, low-impact tourism infrastructure as a core pillar.
Top visitor nationalities in 2026 include Emiratis (the single largest source market at 158,586 in the first two months alone), Indians, Germans, Poles and Russians — a diversity reflecting Oman’s growing international appeal. For UAE residents in particular, Oman offers a genuinely different cultural experience accessible by a five-hour drive or a 90-minute flight, at a price point consistently more affordable than comparable-quality experiences in Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Also Read: Oman’s OQ and LNG: The Sultanate’s Energy Strategy | Oman’s Muscat Real Estate Corridor Attracts Investment
