Dubai
Hotels in Sharjah attracted more than two million guests in 2014, up from 1.9 million visitors in 2013, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), said in a statement on Thursday.
The emirate features 106 hotel establishments, including 50 hotels and 56 hotel apartments, with 10,000 hotel rooms, said Mohammad Ali Al No’man, Chairman of the SCTDA, in the statement. A number of hotels are expected to open in Sharjah this year, such as the Sheraton Hotel and Resort, and Aloft Sharjah.
The SCTDA did not, however, state hotel revenue for the year.
Europeans are among the top source markets in the emirate. In the first half of year 2014, 409,585 European guests checked in Sharjah’s hotel establishments, up 17 per cent from 349,670 guests in the same period in 2013. German hotel guests last year stood at more than 25,000. Al No’man said it is important to participate in European and international tourism exhibitions and events such as the ITB Berlin to attract more German and European tourists.
He added said that Sharjah offers a distinct and diverse tourism experience to the European tourists that includes authentic culture and heritage, museums and cultural centres. Sharjah’s other tourism offerings include sports activities like swimming, diving, snorkelling, as well as shopping malls and traditional souqs. Visitors can also go on a desert safari.
A Sharjah delegation is participating in ITB Berlin, running until March 8, headed by the SCTDA and includes Sharjah Airport Authority, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency, Shurooq (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority), Sharjah Environment & Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) and Sharjah Museums Department, among others.
Hotels are also participating in ITB Berlin, including the Coral Beach Resort, Golden Tulip Sharjah, Ramada Sharjah, Radisson Blu Resort, Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa, Sharjah Premiere Group, Al Shaab Village and Spark Hotel & Deluxe Apartments.
The Sharjah stand at ITB Berlin features large interactive touchscreens allowing visitors to experience the emirate and its attractions, monuments, museums, educational institutions, tourist attractions, festivals and events. Visitors are also offered promotional literature and leaflets and brochures in German and English about Sharjah and its tourism offerings.
Sharjah has been named as the Arab Tourism Capital for 2015.
