- Sharjah posts 14% growth in number of European tourists
H.E. Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), stressed the importance of Sharjah’s excellent ties with European Union countries, adding that the emirate’s participations in major European trade and tourism exhibitions have significantly contributed to further strengthening these ties.
He praised the rapid pace of development in relations between Sharjah and EU countries, saying: “The keen interest shown by UAE’s corporations and organizations to participate in premier European commerce and tourism events is part of this growth and reflects the importance of collective efforts to turn these excellent ties into a strategic partnership.”
Al Qassimi was speaking at meetings held with Mrs Elena Udrea, Romania's Minister of Tourism, and the accompanying delegation, which included H.E. Nicolae Goia, Romanian Ambassador to the UAE and a number of advisors, as well as another delegation from Greece, headed by the Greek Ambassador to the UAE and the President of the Greek National Tourism Organization, who visited Sharjah’s stand at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2009.
The meetings focused on Sharjah’s unique tourist attractions, and Al Qassimi highlighted the rich cultural and heritage sites in the emirate, as well as the investor-friendly climate, the favourable and transparent legal infrastructure, and the host of facilities and incentives offered by the Sharjah Government to foreign investors:
“The launch of large, innovative projects in Sharjah reflects international investors’ desire to seize the untapped opportunities in the emirate and gain the benefit of the facilities and incentives offered by the Sharjah Government,” said Al Qassimi.
“In the past, Sharjah has been a hub of trade exchange in the region, due to its strategic geographical location at the crossroads of major trade routes linking east and west. Straddling the Arabian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, Sharjah is the gateway to the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The emirate’s reputation as the cultural capital of the UAE was reaffirmed by UNESCO, when it declared Sharjah to be “the cultural capital of the Arab world” in 1998. Since that landmark date, the emirate has built on such recognition, attracting hosts of people who come to witness, experience, explore and discover the secrets of a unique Arabian lifestyle and Islamic culture. Sharjah has 16 museums and cultural centers, in addition to a multitude of art galleries as well as historical and cultural sites,” he continued.
“We have taken giant strides in the sphere of tourism and investment infrastructure with the aim of augmenting the emirate's already leading position on the world’s tourism and business maps. This modern infrastructure, combined with Sharjah’s investor-friendly legal climate and abundant investment opportunities, has made the emirate an ideal destination for international capital and investments, thanks to the far-sighted policy adopted by Sharjah Government.”
Al Qassimi explained that international exhibitions form an important platform for Sharjah to promote its touristic offerings, including family tourism, which is one of the emirate’s main products highlighted at exhibitions, as it incorporates historical, heritage and cultural dimensions. “This gives Sharjah a unique selling point that will allow our voice to be heard, and enable us to stand out from the crowd in the tourism market.”
He concluded by pointing to the increased revenue of Sharjah’s tourism sector as result of a series of participations in European travel and tourism gatherings and opening representatives office in a number of EU countries: “European tourists accounted for 49 percent of the 1.5 million tourists visiting Sharjah in 2008, a 14 percent increase from 2007 figures. SCTDA’s statistics show that European tourists to Sharjah outnumber those of other nationalities, reaffirming the strategic importance of our participation in international exhibitions such as ATM, and the feasibility of our presence at the European industrial gathering to showcase Sharjah’s features and attractions to further improve its appeal to European tourists. We seek to upgrade Sharjah’s tourist offerings and introduce new family and culture tourism concepts that both meet tourists’ needs and comply with international standards.”
