Although stuck in the Middle East and missing the plan, for Mr. Trinh Van Duc (26 years old, Hanoi), this is also a quite interesting and rare experience.
Instead of setting foot in Europe, Mr. Duc stayed in the capital Muscat, Oman for 6 days from February 28 to March 6. Originally, the male tourist's flight from Hanoi would land in Doha, Qatar, but the plane landed in Muscat, Oman when the war broke out.
As a neutral country, Oman is safe in the midst of war. Anh Duc tried to take advantage of his waiting time in Oman to learn about this Middle Eastern country, which is still unfamiliar to Vietnamese people.
One of the things that surprised the male tourist was the friendliness and enthusiasm of the people here, especially from the taxi drivers. Many drivers, after knowing the unexpected situation of the Vietnamese male tourist, offered to take him for free for the whole trip.
During the days here, I didn't have cash. The first driver drove me for free, the second driver said he could pay as much as he wanted, the third driver even let me take a ride even though I was just a stranger standing on the side of the road waving for a car. The driver named Salem was the one who took me out for the last days in Oman. He agreed to let me pay for gasoline instead of travel expenses. In total, I paid 3 or 4 times or so," he happily said.
He also revealed: "At this time, people here are performing rituals during Ramadan. During the day, the streets are quite deserted; however, when night falls, the atmosphere becomes much busier in an atmosphere filled with music and fireworks. When Mr. Salem and I came to refuel around late afternoon, gas station staff quickly gave each of us a bottle of filtered water to "quench" the driver's thirst after a day of fasting.
In this unfortunate trip, Mr. Duc also realized that the number of electric vehicles here is not much. On the streets, mainly gasoline trucks run, there are not many electric vehicle charging stations.
Mr. Duc commented that travel costs in Oman are as cheap as spending costs in Vietnam. Not counting the cost of food and accommodation at hotels due to airline support, Mr. Duc calculated that the cost of 6 days on this unexpected trip was less than 5 million VND. Of which, the cost of food and drinks, going out in Oman was 1.5 million VND and the cost of gifts bought was about 2-3 million VND.
Oman is a safe, friendly country, with clean streets. I am impressed with the architectural works here, most of which are painted white. The weather is not too harsh, nearly 30 degrees Celsius during the day but only about 23-25 degrees Celsius in the evening. If I have the opportunity next time, I will definitely visit Oman again," the young tourist confided.
When the political situation stabilizes again, Oman may become a new tourist destination attracting more tourists from Vietnam. Oman is a prominent destination in the Middle East with a combination of majestic deserts, long coastlines and ancient Arab cultural heritage. The capital Muscat impresses with sophisticated Islamic architecture such as Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the traditional market Muttrah. Visitors can explore Wahiba Sands desert, clear water valleys (wadi) or trek at Jebel Shams - which is likened to the "Grand Canyon of Arabia". This country is also famous for its hospitality and
Currently, Middle East tourism is strongly affected by geopolitical tensions in the region, especially related to the conflict between the US - Israel and Iran. It is forecast that the number of international visitors to the region may decrease by 11-27% compared to previous forecasts due to air disruptions and tourist anxiety.
The Middle East tourism industry is estimated to lose about 600 million USD per day due to flight cancellations and disrupted air networks. Many international travel companies have also adjusted or temporarily suspended tours to some Middle Eastern destinations to ensure passenger safety.
