“It has been a period of incredible growth for Sharjah’s tourism over the past few years,” said H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), deeming the launch of Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 a milestone.
“The vision aims to attract up to 10 million tourists to Sharjah by 2021, serving as a platform to unite all the efforts, initiatives and tourism programmes under one umbrella,” explained Al Midfa.
As part of the new strategy, SCTDA rolled out the comprehensive Marhabtain training programme and earmarked innovative tourism approach as a key pillar of the scheme, leading to the installation of modern touch screens at four- and five-star establishments, the mClass smart hotel classification and a new mobile application.
GLOBAL EXPOSURE
As Michael Kasch, general manager, Centro Sharjah, noted, the emirate’s realigned strategy came at a time of geopolitical instability and economic challenges, thus, as he said, 2015 was a year of discovery and consequent adaptation to the changing market trends.
Despite a drop in demand from the CIS, and the fact that a slump in the Euro made a holiday to Europe cheaper, Sharjah managed to remain on the upward trajectory spurred by the promising performance of India, China and European countries, divulged Kasch.
Alex Cherfan, operations manager, Golden Tulip Sharjah, reported similar demand patterns, saying that diverting the focus from CIS to other areas, such as the Far East, China, India and the Czech Republic, helped achieve a two percent year-on-year improvement in occupancy levels.
As Kasch further suggested, Sharjah-based Air Arabia’s expansion into China opened new avenues for the emirate and through its well-articulated strategy, SCTDA is actively looking for ways to exploit these markets.
In fact, while Gulf countries remain prominent contributors, Al Midfa also disclosed that in 2015, the biggest growth in visitor numbers was recorded from China and India, surging 78 percent and 23 percent, respectively, underscoring Air Arabia’s eminent role.
The airline’s expansion is largely decisive of the industry’s future path, confirmed Kamal Rijhwani, executive assistant manager, sales and marketing, Radisson Blu Resort Sharjah, indicating that the upcoming launch of services to Bosnia and Herzegovina, for example, is set to further enhance Sharjah’s appeal in that side of the world.
Asia in general is indeed a fast-growing segment, concurred Alper Can Bulcum, cluster general manager, Ramada Plaza Jumeirah Beach Residence and Ramada Sharjah, listing the UK and German-speaking countries also among the top emerging markets.
Despite changes in geographical sources, the GCC to international guest ratio remains more or less the same, with a notable share from Russia now being shifted to other territories, explained Rijhwani.
The emirate’s expansion into new segments, which follows years of vigorous work and road shows by SCTDA, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and local industry stakeholders, is a testament to the destination’s successful strategy, which, despite the UAE’s phenomenal international success, remains committed to its traditional values.
For this reason, Emad Saeed, director of sales and marketing, Oceanic Khorfakkan Resort & Spa, believes that Sharjah should continue to leverage its historical and cultural tourism potential while reaching out to high-value guests from Western and Eastern Europe as well as South Asia and the Far East.
While maintaining its focus on regional markets, SCTDA is looking to make Sharjah a prominent destination on the international tourism map.
“The authority is making all efforts to develop world-class facilities for international tourists and enhance their tourism experience in Sharjah,” stated Al Midfa, further explaining that in order to achieve this, SCTDA is participating in
