News about the University Forum for Tourism Students
The university forum for tourism students promotes direct communication with young national talents and provides a space for dialogue to present their aspirations and ambitions in the tourism sector.
Muscat (20th of April, 2026)
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism organized the University Forum for Tourism Students, which was held at Sultan Qaboos University, under the patronage of His Highness Dr. Fahd bin Al-Julanda Al Said, President of the University. The forum was held under the slogan “Participate, Discuss, and Create the Future” and targeted students majoring in tourism in their final year in higher education institutions with the aim of enhancing direct communication with young national talents and learning about their professional aspirations and ambitions in the tourism sector, and seeking to introduce students to job opportunities and future challenges in this vital sector, and encouraging them to contribute effectively to the development of tourism and support the development process in the Sultanate of Oman.
The meeting targeted over 150 tourism students from Sultan Qaboos University, the German University of Technology, Oman College of Tourism, and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (Nizwa and Salalah branches).
During the dialogue session, His Excellency Sayyid Ibrahim bin Said Al Busaidi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, discussed the Ministry's plans and programs for the Eleventh Five-Year Development Plan (2026-2030). He explained that the Ministry's investment plan aims to diversify tourism offerings, digitize 80% of the sector, and enhance tourism's role in economic diversification by creating major investment opportunities. The plan also focuses on developing castles and forts, promoting adventure tourism, and providing services, with expectations of generating approximately 50,000 job opportunities annually in the private sector.
His Excellency the Minister of Heritage and Tourism noted that this meeting contributes to strengthening communication with students in higher education institutions specializing in tourism-related fields. It also aims to clarify the Ministry's policies, programs, and plans in the heritage and tourism sectors, and to create a meaningful dialogue space for listening to and benefiting from students' ideas and proposals.
The forum included an accompanying exhibition featuring a diverse number of pavilions, most notably: a business tourism corner, an adventure tourism corner, a food tourism and Omani culinary arts corner, a corner for the labor market and employment program, a corner introducing tourism promotion programs, another for investment in heritage and tourism, a corner for the Ministry's scientific publications, and corners displaying meteorites and archaeological artifacts. In addition, industry partners participated with main pavilions, most notably Omran Group, Oman Air, Oman Sail, and leading companies in the luxury and adventure tourism sectors. The exhibition also included dedicated spaces for showcasing graduation projects and student research from participating universities and colleges.
The accompanying exhibition aims to provide a comprehensive and interactive learning experience about the tourism sector in the Sultanate of Oman. It offers firsthand insights into the realities of working in the sector through interaction with specialists, showcases the diversity of tourism products and their development, and highlights national efforts in investment, promotion, and capacity building. It also presents partnerships with key stakeholders and the role of academic research in developing the sector.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism launched its new digital services and website, along with the new promotional website, "Discover Oman." These initiatives aim to bring government services closer to investors and provide comprehensive information to users of the online portal and professionals in the heritage and tourism sectors.
The meeting was characterized by a rich dialogue, allowing attendees to hear the opinions and aspirations of students entering the job market, learn about the challenges they face in their educational journey, explore ways to develop tourism education, and encourage active participation in tourism development and supporting the Sultanate of Oman's overall development.