2. vveennnnnenn DDDDDalallaleee CaCaCCCCaCarnrnege ieeieee,, thtthtt eeee seseselflflf-d-d-devevevvelelelellopopoppopmemememmm ntntnt
ggugugg ruuuuuu,, cococococ uldddd haaahahahaavveveeevev nnnevevevevererererer ttttthhohohoh ugugugugugugghththt mmmmakakakakkininnnngggg
frieeendndnnnddssssss anananandd wiwiwwiwiiw nnnnnnnnnnininniinggggg ovovovovereeerer ppppppeoeoooee plppplpp eeee cocococc uluululllu ddddd
be so eaeaeaeasysysyy. BuBuBuBuutttt AmAmmAmAmurur SSSaiaiiaaidddd HaaHH rdrdrdr anann iiss
aaa mammam stststststererr oooff the arararartttttt ofoffofofof mmmmmmmmakakakakininingggggg ffrfrfrfrfrrieieieeieiieeendndddndndn s.s.s.ss AnAnAAnAn
effefefefffoffofofortrrtrtleelessssssss kkkkkkknnnaanan ckkk fforroroo sssstrtrrtrikkikkinniningggggg upupupppupuppup fffffririririenenneennndsdsdsdsdsdsddd hhhhiihihipspspspssp wwwwwitithhh
people from faf raway lands anddddd dididdiiveveversrsrssrseeee cucuuccc ltltll ururuuruu alaalal
backgrounds, coupled with the rare priii iivileleeleggegegegeg oooofffff
being part of the Sultanate’s tourism industry
from its very beginnings, and a subtle knowledge
of the region’s culture and landscape make for
a winning combination, which he employed so
management company wholly owned by an
Omani—Elite Travel & Tourism—in 2005.
With over 2.6 million visitors choosing Oman
as their destination last year, tourism is certainly
the polestar to light up the Sultanate’s economic
horizon amidst the oil gloom that dimmed it.
And Amur (and team) is working out innovative
strategies to enhance the charm quotient of
thhhhthhisis fffffffabaababulululululoououoousss deestststtiiniinataatattioioonnnnn totot wwoooooooo ttthehehe dddisississceceeernrnrnrnininnningggggg
trtravavelelelelereeer.
AmAAmAmAmururuur,, bebebebbesstststs dddddddeesesesesesese crcrcccrcccc ibibbbbibbedededdded aaaaaasssss ththee FrFrFrF ieiendndnddddlylylylyy
DeDeDeststtstiininnnatatatatatiioioioonnnn MMaMaMaMaMannnn ofofofofff OOmamamaaaan,n,nn hhhhhhhasas tthehe ddisiisisstiiitiiincncncncncncctttititititionononoo
bbbubububbbb sisissineneneeesssssssss iinnn ththtthee SuSuSuuuuultltlttltananaanaanatatatee’e’’e’e’esssss ttrttraavvavva ele andnd tttouourir smmm
inininindududuudusststss ryry aaa dededd cacacaaadedeedededed aaaaaagogogogogo,, whwhhw eneen tttthehehehehheh wwwwwwwhohohoohh leleee iiiindnddnddndnduuuususu trryy
wawaw sssss momoommmoonoononnnnnopopoopopopoppolililiilizezzezezzedddddd bybybybyy eeeeeexpxpxpxpxppatatatatata ririrr atatesesss.. OvOOvOvOOvvereereereeer thehehehh
lalaaassstss decade, hhheee hahaasss immimmimmmememensnssnselely cocoontntnnttntriirirribbubububbububutetteteteeteddddddd totot
sksksksketetetetetchchhchiningg thththeeee SuSuulttltananatatatteee inn ttheheehhhh mmmoososososo tttt vivivivviiv brbrbrbrbrbranannananananttttt anaananana dddddd
vii iividdddd coc lololoouruururuu sssss onoonn tthehehe ggggglololoobababab lll totourrruriisismmmmm map.pp.p
Innndeed, for ththt ousasasaandndnndnddssssss anannanandddd ththththhoouousasasandndndndn s offf fffororrrreeieieieeieigngngngngng
totototototooururruruuru ists whohh arrive in the stttut nnnnniiniinglg y bebebeeeauauaauuauautitiiifufuufufullll ananannanaa dddddd
ccuccuc ltltltlturalallyy fffabababbulululououoousss SuSSuSultltltanananatataateee wiwiwiwithhththooout muuch iiidededeeaaaa
about thee laalalanndndndd,,,, AmAmAmA ururu is the startitiiing poiointnt.
For a man whwhhhooooo grgrgrreweeew uuuuppppp eteterereerernananananalllllllllyy roomamancn inininingggg
the bewitching beauty off DDhoh fafarr, eentntereriningg ththee
travel trade was the most senssibiblle thihingng ttoo dodo.
Years later, as a natural progression, he saww hihiss
life partner in a lady from the tourism industry:
Karen, a German national, who is the general
manager at Elite.
manSarnga Dharan Nambiar
19February 18, 2016
Personality
nation
3. Travel, for him, is an endeavor pregnant
with deep meaning. Travel is not about
of soaking up the vibes of ever changing
destinations in all its multi-dimensional
aspects. “A great deal of the so-called
cherished travel experience comes from
experiencing authentic local culture and
lifestyle through interacting with locals,
enjoying local cuisine, art and dance, and
exploring ancient sites and relics,” Amur
says.
“I worked almost 17 years with the
InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, and
saw the tourism industry emerging in the
Sultanate. I realized there is need for a
professionally run tourism company that
can reveal Oman in its entire tantalizing
splendor to international tourists. I wanted
Elite to be a destination management
company with a difference. From the very
beginning, I had a vision: To be a destination
management company whose corporate
Arrive as a client and Leave as a friend,
is our tagline. For me, giving an authentic
Omani cultural experience to guests from
across the world is the most satisfying thing
to do,” he says.
“Our aim was to add meaning to
travel, while respecting local cultures
and customs. We always remained fair,
Amur Said Hardan
Hollywood actress Kristen Stewart on a
tour of Oman with Elite's Hilal Al Gadhani.
20 February 18, 2016
Personality
4. and open to forge new ventures that add value
to visitors. As an Omani I am aware of what is
happening here, and we educate our global
associates and business partners about the same,”
Amur noted.
Knowing the demands of the international market,
and adapting to them with élan is the hallmark of
Elite. Beyond offering an array of tour packages,
Elite ventured into adventure tourism as well with
unspoiled wilderness, by establishing No Boundaries,
based in Shuwaymiah, a remote coastal village in
Nicholas and his wife Angela.
“We wanted to do something different from
the run-of-the-mill activities offered by DMCs. No
Boundaries is an attempt at offering a unique
experience to our guests by focusing on exciting
destinations that are undiscovered by mainstream
tourism. However, we take extreme care not to spoil
they must be released after tagging and registering,”
Amur added.
No Boundaries runs guest lodges with an exotic
Arabian ambience, and has three fully equipped
archipelago called the Hallaniyats (Khuriya-Muriya)
Islands, home to the only non-migratory humpback
whales in existence and also huge pods of dolphin,
paddle boards and mountain bikes, or going for
adventure camping on the Islands.
The journey has been quite exciting. “We began
with just two staff and now have 32. Six of them are
Omanis, and a few are in managerial positions. We
try to develop Omani professionals in the tourism
Arabs work with us. Also, 27 Omanis freelance for
us as tour guides and in other supporting roles. All
our English speaking guides are Omanis, while two
speak French and two German,” Amur said.
After a few years of establishing Elite, Amur started
looking for European talent to expand its operations.
And Karen, who was the working with the Chedi,
Muscat, happened to be the person he was looking
Elite Tean with visitors from Finland
21February 18, 2016
Personality
5. Being a German, Karen could take care of the
German speaking market. She was also an expert
in various aspects of the travel and tourism sector
including safety, standards etc. On the other hand,
Amur knew the Sultanate inside out. Thus when they
joined forces, Elite got a new sense of direction
and the venture blossomed into Oman’s leading
destination management company.
Elite basically looks at the upmarket segment of
Europe. “We know the major agents catering to
that segment, which helped us formulate the right
strategy to tap the market. Our database of clients
and agents saw a steady growth over the years. We
have today over 300 agents worldwide including
tour operators, MICE agents and more,” Karen
added.
If Elite is hugely successful, it is all because Amur
and Karen could successfully turn their passion into
a profession. “We don’t mind going not just that extra
mile, but a thousand extra miles to satisfy our valued
customers,” Amur explained Elite’s core philosophy.
Elite provides a rich experience to their guests
through meaningful encounters with native people,
and a greater understanding of local, social and
environmental matters.
Last year Elite moved around 6000 visitors in
Oman. “But this year we will be lucky if we can
the political unrest in some parts of the Arab world
has had a negative impact on tourism here. People
fear for their safety. Also, this year our operations
will get costlier, but we can’t pass on the burden to
our clients as the contracts with our agents were
However, he is appreciative of the ministry’s
support: “Ministry of tourism supports us in our
efforts; we work under their umbrella. We are
invited to major global events and exhibitions, and
the ministry offers DMCS an effective platform to
showcase their products and services.”
Karen, meanwhile, has her special focus on
tourists from the German-speaking countries, which
is a major tourism market. She, along with Amur,
is busy working on strategies to tap the booming
Indian market, and have already recruited an Indian
professional to cater for that market. “We feel that
various national markets need to be catered for
by employees from the respective nations, as this
Karen
22 February 18, 2016
Personality
6. would help us offer better, customized solutions.
We had hosted last year around 20 Indian tour
operators who were here on MOT’s invitation,” Karen
said. Also they are looking at exploring the GCC
market.
Elite believes in responsible tourism, and has clear
vision on the same. “We encourage responsible
and sustainable tourism. As proud ambassadors of
Oman, we take our responsibilities very seriously.
With deep love for this country we take care of
its environment, community, customers, partners
and our employees. We support the community by
creating jobs and encouraging visitors to buy local
produce. In the villages and hinterlands of Oman,
the communities have their social and cultural ethos,
and we need to be very sensitive to their concerns.
We educate our guests about all such issues,” Karen
said.
She continued: “In the sites that we visit, we ensure
that no new trails are created and no footprints are
left. We take our guests off the beaten track, but
our guides ensure minimal damage to nature. We
pick up litter and dispose of it in bins or give it to the
support staff. Also we encourage reuse of drink
bottles, shopping bags and responsible use of water
and energy.”
As a veteran in the tourism industry, Amur feels
has great culture, heritage, amazingly diverse
landscapes, pleasant weather, and above all, a
tolerant, friendly people. But to ensure growth of the
tourism industry, our existing rules and regulations
need to be revised and relaxed, especially those
related to employment and visas.”
“Oil is down now. By now Oman could have
advanced far ahead in the tourism sector, but
unfortunately we have been slow to develop this
industry. Tourism is essentially a service industry, and
if DMCs don’t have a free hand in its operations then
services and attract more guests. Oman needs to
enhance its tourism infrastructure as well,” Amur said.
Karen at German Road Show
Amur with Germany's Easy writers team Amur with Oman tourism Zurich
23February 18, 2016
Personality
