The University Tourism Students’ Forum commenced, hosted in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism under the theme “Engage, Discuss, and Shape the Future”. The event brought together more than 150 students from tourism-related disciplines, alongside a number of stakeholders from the sector. It was held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, the Vice-Chancellor.
The forum aims to strengthen direct engagement between students and relevant entities, explore their professional aspirations, and familiarise them with employment opportunities and challenges within the tourism sector. This, in turn, supports their readiness for the labour market and enhances their role in advancing Oman’s tourism industry.
The programme opened with an exhibition that offered visitors the opportunity to learn about supporting organisations within the tourism sector. In the evening session, a video titled “The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism: Sustained Presence and Effective Partnership” was screened, highlighting key initiatives undertaken by the Ministry to support the sector, enhance employment opportunities, and expand collaboration with educational institutions.
His Excellency Sayyid Ibrahim bin Said Al-Busaidi, Minister of Heritage and Tourism, delivered a keynote address in which he emphasised that the heritage and tourism sector represents a fundamental pillar that brings together cultural and natural legacy. He noted that heritage encompasses all that humanity has produced across generations, underscoring the importance of preserving and developing it sustainably. He added that tourism is an integrated sector involving all stakeholders, and that Oman possesses diverse assets, including a rich civilisational and cultural heritage and a renewed national drive, positioning it for broad prospects of growth, while stressing the need to keep pace with contemporary developments in advancing the sector.
The forum also featured an accompanying exhibition comprising several themed sections, including business tourism, adventure tourism, heritage tourism, and employment and labour market opportunities, as well as promotion, investment, tour guiding, and archaeological museums. A number of tourism companies and institutions participated, in addition to the presentation of student graduation projects from various universities and colleges, reflecting innovation and fresh ideas in the field.
The programme further included an open dialogue session with the Minister of Heritage and Tourism, which facilitated direct discussion with tourism students. The session addressed several key themes, including tour guiding and the Ministry’s efforts to develop it, challenges faced by students in research studies, and ways to support scientific research through institutional partnerships. It also explored concepts of urban quality and their role in enhancing the tourism appeal of cities.
The session underscored the importance of developing students’ personal skills and fostering innovation in tourism services as a key driver of sectoral growth. It also highlighted student participation in local and international exhibitions and events, and their role in representing the Sultanate of Oman at various tourism platforms.
His Excellency noted that the tourism sector has witnessed significant growth over the past three years, contributing positively to the national economy. He affirmed that the sector is closely linked with various other fields, creating broad employment opportunities, and that employment indicators reflect a balance between educational outputs and labour market needs.
The event concluded with a tour of the accompanying exhibition, during which guests reviewed student research and explored ways to strengthen it through collaboration with research institutions, in addition to learning about the efforts of participating entities in supporting partnerships with the academic sector.