UAE: SCTDA Announces Recent Sector Feats At World Tourism Day Celebrations

Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) introduced the latest developments and tourism activities in the emirate as it celebrated the World Tourism Day with key partners of Sharjah’s tourism industry. A special event under the theme “All Things New in Sharjah” was held at the soon-to-open Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, the latest hospitality development in the emirate.

The event, organised in the presence of Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, the chairman of SCTDA, was attended by representatives from Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), Sharjah Museums Department, and a number of other key tourism stakeholders in the emirate.

In a keynote address on the occasion, Al Midfa said the World Tourism Day offers an opportunity to view Sharjah’s new developments and destination products to ensure the sustained growth of the tourism sector in the emirate.

“This is an occasion for us in Sharjah to celebrate the efforts of our strategic partners who have contributed to the development of tourism in the emirate and helped raise the quality and variety of Sharjah’s destination offering. Their prominent role has supported the emirate’s tourism strategies and enabled Sharjah to occupy a prominent position on the world tourism map,” Al Midfa stated.

Commenting on the “All Things New in Sharjah” theme for the event, Al Midfa said SCTDA is working under the wise directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to follow an innovative path towards the sustainable development of tourism.

Al Midfa added: “Today the tourism sector in the emirate of Sharjah operates under the new Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 which has activated main pillars as a focus to achieve the goal of attracting 10 million visitors to the emirate by 2021 to which all presented destination products and projects contribute.

“We look towards achieving this goal with the active partnership of all organisations, government departments and private sector companies; working together to enhance the tourism experience in Sharjah.”

Following on from the event, SCTDA will organise a series of product launches during which the UAE’s travel trade will be able to experience the new Sharjah destination products first hand.

Highlighting the innovative initiatives for the development of the tourism sector in the emirate, Al Midfa pointed out the launch of the “Marhabtain” initiative aimed at improving the efficiency of workers in the tourism industry and related sectors such as transportation, hotels and museums.

He said SCTDA has also adopted an innovative approach for the promotion of Sharjah’s tourism sector in the most important tourism export markets in the world by participating in major international exhibitions and specialised events to build better partnerships leading to increased tourist traffic to the emirate of Sharjah.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, chief operating officer of Shurooq, shed light on some of the latest projects in Sharjah’s tourism sector such as Al Noor Island, Al Montazah, Flag Island, Souq Al Shanasiyah and Kalba and Mleiha Ecotourism projects.

During the event, SCTDA invited many new tourism service providers to explain their products and their vision for supporting the authority in meeting the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021.

Alyah Alamiri, head of Community & Academic Programmes at Sharjah Museums Department, gave an overview of the museums’ cultural programmes and re-opened.

The Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 is focused on four main pillars: promoting Sharjah as an ideal family tourism destination, adopting an innovative tourism approach, developing world class tourism facilities and capabilities, and strengthening Sharjah’s position as an international cultural hub.