Dragon Trail Leads Chinese Media FAM Trip to Oman

In April 2025, Dragon Trail organized and led the first-ever FAM trip for Chinese media and KOLs to visit the Sultanate of Oman. The one-week trip resulted in 162 pieces of media coverage across social apps, digital news platforms, travel websites, and radio, which have attracted more than 12 million views.

An up-and-coming destination for Chinese travelers, the Sultanate of Oman introduced a 14-day visa-free policy for Chinese visitors in 2023. Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism launched its China marketing activities in the spring of 2025 – including the appointment of Dragon Trail as its market representative. The next step: engaging Chinese media and influencers to spread the word about the Sultanate of Oman and put it on the radar of Chinese outbound travelers.

Seven Chinese travel journalists and KOLs visited Oman in April 2025, visiting diverse destinations including Jabal Akhdar (pictured)

From 20-26 April, we accompanied four travel KOLs, one consumer travel media, one travel trade media, and one radio media on a tour of the Sultanate of Oman to experience its diverse destinations and tourism offerings. KOLs included Luna Panda Loves Travel, a lifestyle, travel, and food influencer with 3.5 million followers; photographer and influencer Apple, with 3.8 million followers; vlogger and travel influencer Harry Li; and Mr. Dumpling, a National Geographic columnist, vlogger, and TV host with more than 8 million followers. The three additional media outlets were Beijing Joy FM 87.6, an arts and culture-focused radio station; new media outlet Travel Zone; and B2B media Travel Marketing Watch.

FAM trip participants visited cultural landmarks and took a traditional dhow cruise in the capital city of Muscat; toured the ancient forts and bustling souks of Nizwa; experienced the verdant summer retreat of Jabal Akhdar; watched sea turtles lay their eggs in Ras Al Jinz; hiked and swam in the beautiful Wadi Shab gorge; and rode camels in the desert. In addition to the sights, experiences, and activities across Oman, the accommodation on the trip was another highlight, featuring the W, Mandarin Oriental, and St. Regis properties in Muscat, the Indigo Hotel Jabal Akhdar, the eco-friendly Sama Resort in Ras Al Jinz, and luxury desert camping.

Photo and video posts on Xiaohongshu (RedNote) by the KOLs about their experiences visiting Oman

All of the participating media outlets rated Oman very highly, exceeding expectations with a significant amount of valuable media coverage, resulting in more than 12 million views within the first month. The FAM trip participants shared their experiences across WeChat and WeChat Channels, Weibo, RedNote (Xiaohongshu), QQ, Douyin, Kuaishou, Mafengwo, Qyer, Dianping, Ctrip, media platforms Huxiu, Toutiao, 163, and Baijiakou, and radio. The 160+ media clippings resulting from the FAM trip highlight Oman’s diverse appeal, including its food, architecture, natural scenery, museums, hotels, and experiences. From luxury hotel stays to camel rides in the desert to Oman’s visa-free policy, the articles, videos, diaries, and travelogues reveal the selling points of this up-and-coming destination to Chinese visitors.

KOL Luna Panda Loves Travel shares her video from the Oman FAM trip and talks about her experience at a Beijing media event in May

Following the FAM trip, we also organized a media event in Beijing on 15 May to introduce the Sultanate of Oman and its many appealing travel destinations. This event was attended by 27 media in total, including some of the FAM trip participants, who were able to share their own first-hand Oman travel experiences with industry colleagues.

Dragon Trail’s full suite of marketing services includes public relations, FAM trip organization, KOL marketing, and event management, alongside digital marketing, research and strategy consulting, and market representation services. Learn more here, and contact us to discuss how we can help you establish and grow your China market outreach.