MUSCAT (AFP) - Oman said Wednesday it had joined the UN's World Tourism Organization (WTO) to better promote itself as a holiday destination.

"It is a significant step which would go a long way in regulating and boosting the tourism industry in picturesque Oman," Mohsin bin Khamis al-Balushi, the sultanate's undersecretary for tourism, told reporters.

The Madrid-based WTO counts 141 member states. It says it promotes ethical tourism with the aim of improving the countries' economies and fostering peaceful relations.

Oman last month said it would allocate $30 million to promote its tourism industry abroad over the next two years.

The campaign will largely target Europe as well as members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which besides itself groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar.

Muscat has also said it is will ease travel restrictions to facilitate the entry of tourists to help diversify its sources of revenue away from the market vagaries of oil and gas prices.

Oman, which has stunning natural scenery that includes miles of pristine beaches, rugged mountains and baking deserts, saw its fledgling tourist industry take a hard blow after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the United States.

The conservative Muslim state, which occupies the eastern edge of the Arabian peninsula, has avoided the mass tourism of Dubai, targeting instead middle and high-class tourists to try to better stimulate the economy and not offend local sensitivities.