ABOUT TONY WALSH
Short Introduction Version
Tony Walsh – author ‘Oman’, Bradt Guides 2022 guide to the Sultanate of Oman
Tony Walsh is the author of the 2022 Oman guide for Bradt Guides. He lived in Arabia between 1986 & 2016, working primarily in retail and tourism. Since returning to live in England, Tony leads tour groups, speaks on board cruise ships and has written several books on the region.
Tony can be found online by searching for @realTonyWalsh
…—…
Medium Version
Tony Walsh – author ‘Oman’, Bradt Guides 2022 guide to the Sultanate of Oman
From 1986 to 2016, Tony lived in Arabia – working in Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
For much of that time he was self-employed, initially operating a retail business that evolved into a ‘portfolio’ of businesses. These included operating a Disney retail franchise, running an inbound tour operator and providing small construction projects in Oman for the USAF.
Along with the tourism field, Tony authored magazine articles for international publications, in-house booklets for Oman’s Ministry of Tourism and a coffee-table book financed by the Ministry of Tourism.
Tony was thrilled to be asked to rewrite the Bradt Oman guide for the 4th edition (2016) – & equally delighted to update it for the 5th edition in 2022.
Currently, Tony lives in England and continues to author books & articles on the region. He leads tours through the Middle East and speaks on cruise ships in the Arabian Sea region.
Tony can be found online by searching for @realTonyWalsh
…—…
Long Version
Tony Walsh – author ‘Oman’, Bradt Guides 2022 guide to the Sultanate of Oman
Tony first set foot in the Arab world when he backpacked through Egypt in 1985. From 1986 to 2016, Tony then worked and lived in Arabia – in the Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Tony has visited all the Gulf states, either for work or leisure, and has travelled widely through the region, from Syria south to Yemen – and Egypt west to Iran.
Initially, working in Oman, he managed a retail business that imported childrens products, mainly toys, retailed it, and wholesaled them throughout the sultanate. Working in Saudi Arabia, Tony managed the retail department stores of BHS (British Home Stores), which were a new franchise of the UK company. He returned to Oman and operated his own importing, wholesaling and retailing business. Tony was also fortunate to run the Disney retail franchise after returning to Oman.
As Oman opened up to international tourism, Tony set up an inbound tour operator. Unfortunately, the events associated with 11 September 2001 resulted in tourist arrivals grinding to a halt. Serendipity lent Tony a hand. Travelling down to Masirah Island in Oman, he met with the USAF purchasing officer on the island, as they had just arrived in the country. Successfully tendering for contracts for the USAF on Masirah and later in Seeb North (Muscat) helped Tony survive the downturn in tourism.
Tourism re-started after a couple of years. Tony’s company not only provided private tailor-made inbound programs for visitors throughout Oman but also, occasionally, into Bahrain, Qatar, UAE and Yemen. Pre-planning for his clients meant that Tony travelled throughout the entire sultanate. This was often to areas no tourist might visit, to ensure that all options for their arrival were evaluated.
Tony has used his knowledge to write articles for media, including in-flight magazines and foreign newspapers. This, and his extensive photo library, led to his being asked to author a coffee table book on Oman’s UNESCO sites, which was financed by Oman’s Ministry of Tourism. Later the ministry asked Tony to author and provide photographs and maps for their 22 English and separate Arabic tourism booklets covering Oman’s 11 governorates.
Tony was thrilled to be asked to rewrite the Bradt Oman guide for the 4th edition (2016), with a separate Muscat digital edition published the same year.
Currently, Tony lives in England and continues to author books & articles on the region. He leads tours through the Middle East and speaks on cruise ships in the Arabian Sea region.
In contrast to his organising & planning tours for groups, Tony travels independently; making use of Tuk Tuks in Cairo, Saqqara, Abydos and Abu Simbel; cycling for a week throughout Luxor & its region. In Dendera, where he visited the Hathor Temple by cycle, the police insisted on providing an escort from the town, and back. In Saudi and the Arabian Peninsula he has always driven himself or made use of public transport, enjoying the metro’s of Riyadh, Doha and Dubai, and the three superb rail lines in Saudi.
Tony’s update for the Oman 5th edition (2022) means that Bradt’s Oman guide continues to be the indispensable guide to Oman. He has authored a range of books on the region – available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Waterstones – and elsewhere
Tony can be found online by searching for @realTonyWalsh – contact him
END OF BIO
…—…
Tony Walsh Muscat Oman
|
|
Desert Treasures for Singapore Air Priority PPS Club magazine
Join Tony on a journey as he took friends from Muscat up into the perfume filled mountain air of Al Jabal Al Akhdar |
|
|
The Real Garden of Eden – Dhofar – The Travel Club
Explore one of Tony’s favourite locations in Oman – a verdant, hidden valley that flows into one of Oman’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. |
|
|
Abalone of Dhofar for Emirates Open Skies magazine
Searching out birds along the southern coast of Oman Tony stumbled across Dhofar’s annual abalone harvest. |
|
|
Whale watching in Oman for Qatar’s Abode magazine
On dolphin watching trips off Muscat’s coast it’s common to see hundreds, however on one trip Tony didn’t see a single dolphin; the next day the reason became clear. Read about his double sea trip into the waters off Muscat. |
…—…
DOWNLOADS
|
|
Tony Walsh in Oman’s Empty Quarter desert 72dpi |
|
|
Tony Walsh in Muscat Oman – blue shirt 72dpi |
|
|
Tony Walsh in Muscat Oman – brown jacket 72dpi |
|
|
Oman guide from Bradt Guides 72dpi |
…—…
You must be logged in to post a comment.