Nestled at the bottom of the Arabian peninsula and blessed by the monsoon rains, Oman seems like an oasis in the troubled Gulf region of the Middle East.
Suddenly, Oman has woken up to realise it has some precious and sellable assets. An increasing number of visitors see it as a rare tourist destination that offers a pristine environment of desert, mountains and sea with a unique history.
"In the 1980s, there was no tourism at all. It wasn't in the picture, we have woken up to realise that we live in a paradise," said Saleh al-Zakwani, who founded Apex, the country's first tourist publication to promote Oman's riches.
"It is a very different kind of paradise. The rest of the Gulf doesn't have anything like that," he said.
Oman's beautiful landscape, majestic forts, sandy beaches, magnificent desert, rugged mountains and lush south are unmatched in its charm in the region. Its 500 forts, castles, watchtowers, museums and mosques bear witness to its glorious and proud past, which dates back around 5,000 years.
Its ancient architecture of white stone and mud brick houses, old harbours dotted with fishing dhow boats takes visitors back in time.
Two forts, Jalali and Mirani, both built by the Portuguese, guard the entrance to the capital Muscat.
"This is a magnificent place. Its scenery, greenery, beaches, purple-black mountains are striking. You feel as if you have arrived in an oasis," said French tourist Chantale Clustre.
In the capital Muscat, tourists can find almost everything possible. You go out boating and you see dolphins and whales. In another hour you can be looking at caves, driving through the desert or indulging in history, visiting forts and museums and old traditional souks.
Above all, at a time when tensions are rippling across the Arab and Islamic world it is a rare oasis of relaxed tolerance, peace and tranquillity.
What makes Oman very special, tourists say, is its people and tolerant interpretation of Islam. Omanis are friendly and hospitable. Religion is a private affair, a matter for worship rather than display.
Proud as they are of their culture and religious traditions, they wear them lightly and do not impose them on visitors.
This feature does not go unnoticed among tourists, who are aware of a rising tide of Muslim militancy aimed against the West.
"This place is multi-cultured, it is friendly Islam, not radical Islam and is friendly to tourists. It is safe in Oman. It is beautiful and peaceful," said German Christina Klaus.
"We stay at the beach, we like the sun and the beach. It is very quiet here, no jet skis, no noise and no crowds," added German Ursula Paulus, a regular tourist for the past 20 years.
Standing at a remove from the so-called "clash of civilisation" between the Western and Muslim worlds, Oman follows the Ibadi sect, a distinct sect of Islam that is neither Sunni nor Shia. Ibadis are known to be the least fanatical and very tolerant of people of all faiths.
"We are very liberal when it comes to religion. It is safe here, we have no al Qaeda and we're not Sunnis, Shia or Wahhabis," said Zakwani, referring to other Muslim sects that spawned radical Islamist groups opposed to the West.
But Oman, the second largest country in the Gulf after Saudi Arabia, had its share of trouble. It fought its own war against leftist Omani insurgents and won it with the backing of British troops in the 1970s.
Sipping beer with song birds flying over, tourists enjoying the sunshine and balmy breeze, look mesmerised by the beauty and serenity around them.
"I found here the peace and tranquillity I was looking for," said Italian Lucian Longhi, a retired businessman. "The virgin nature here is captivating. We can walk on the beach, we like that, it's sea, sun and fishermen around."
Tourism under-secretary Salem al-Muaameri said more than one million tourists visit Oman every year. Britons are the largest group, followed by Germans, French and Italians.
Muaameri said tourism accounts for one percent of GDP but expected it to rise by 2020 to three to five percent. But he said Oman, keen on preserving its heritage, was wary of over expanding.
"We don't want Oman to lose its soul and spirit. We are very sensitive about this issue. We look for controlled tourism. We look for the tourists who respect our customs, traditions and heritage. We're very optimistic and we are not in a hurry."
Oman, however, like many other destinations in the Middle East has fallen victim to the reputation of the volatile region, plagued with wars and militant violence. As a result of the US war on Iraq, the country suffered huge cancellations.
"Oman is part of the region and we were affected."
"The problem is that when they (West) talk about the region they talk about it as one country. People think we are very close, that if there is a war in one country they think there is war everywhere," Muaameri said.
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