Tourism Ministry Issues Guidelines and Directs Compulsory Health Insurance for all Tourists

The Ministry of Tourism (MoT) outlined the following measures that tour and travel providers must follow to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among tour groups: 

• Travel and tour offices must ensure that travelers coming from outside Oman have a medical certificate or permits issued by the relevant authorities.
• For travel and tour bookings, it will be mandatory for all tourists to have health insurance before their reservation can be completed.
• Bookings should be made online and paper documents and cash transactions avoided as much as possible.
• Travel providers must organize tours and excursions in groups of no more than 16 people at a time, with social distancing measures in place.

The MoT has also issued guidelines for visitors upon arrival and check-in to hotels:

• Guests should adhere to social distancing and avoid mixing in common areas during arrival, check-in, and check-out.
• At the check-in desk, separate pens must be used for each guest, and they should be directed to complete registration online for their customer profile.
• Arrival times of tour groups must be logged/registered, and they must be directed to a clean waiting area with temporary seating and water bottles.
• Attention must be given to the number of people in the reception area so as to avoid over-crowding and adhere to social distancing.
• The contact details of all guests must be logged upon arrival, and drivers of tour vehicles must be provided with digital thermometers to check the temperature of guests.
• Guests should adhere to social distancing while in the restaurants, and a la carte service should be offered instead of buffet.

Tour and travel offices and visitors are also expected to adhere to all other precautionary health and safety measures as advised by Oman’s Supreme Committee for COVID-19.