English abstract
In an effort to develop and implement effective promotion strategies for tourism in a specific destination, it is important to describe the characteristics and behaviors of visitors to the destination as well as monitor changes and trends in the region's tourism industry. One of the most common methods to accomplish this objective is to conduct a visitor's profile study. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of visitors to the city of SALALAH as a whole. This study viewed SALALAH tourist profile with regards to two major key variables namely: the tourists' socioeconomic characteristics and the tourists' behavioral characteristics. While the tourists' socio-economic characteristics are often described in terms of age, sex, education and income levels, behavioral characteristics include tourists' motivation, attitudes, needs and values. These characteristics are essential not only because they all influence the magnitude, frequency, and kind of interaction with the physical attributes of the tourism destination and its people but also because they play a crucial role in contributing to the tourist decision making processes.
