The Sultanate of Oman has been making great efforts to diversify its economy in order to move from its dependence on the oil-industry. These efforts and the rich cultural and natural landscapes that Oman offers, led to a massive growth in the tourism sector, which has become "one of the Sultanate's most pivotal non-oil sectors, specializing in eco-tourism and first class tourism" (WINCKLER 2007, 221). Oman has experienced constant growth rates over the last decade: the country hosted over 2 million inbound tourists in 2012 (NCSI, 2013), compared to its 3 million strong population (AUSWARTIGES AMT 2013). Despite the success in terms of tourist numbers, the tourism infrastructure is largely underdeveloped or even non-existent.
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