SCTDA and Anderson discuss strategies for attracting tourists from Scandinavian market

This is in a bid to enhance the performance of the tourism sector in the emirate of Sharjah and to increase the flow of tourists to the Emirate from various countries.

The Sheikh's pronouncements follow a meeting with representatives of Swedish public relations firm, Anderson, held at the SCTDA headquarters in Sharjah and attended by His Excellency Mr Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Director General of the SCTDA.

The aim of the meeting was to identify workable strategies and plans of action for the next phase of the Authority's promotion of Sharjah to the world tourism market, which is aimed introducing Sharjah's attractions to a wider international audience and attracting greater numbers of tourists, particularly from Scandinavian countries, to the emirate.

During the meeting, Sheikh Sultan stressed the necessity for the Authority and major travel and tourism companies to combine their efforts and for exploring Scandinavian economic activity and other factors that will help to increase the flow of Scandinavian tourism to Sharjah. He said that it is also vital that Scandinavian investors be introduced to the various opportunities available in Sharjah and that marketing plans be drawn up to highlight the business and leisure tourist attractions available in the emirate.

He said:

"Following a visit by a delegation of SCTDA representatives to Sweden last March, we signed an agreement with Anderson Public Relations in a bid to strengthen our presence there. Today's meeting is a continuation of that agreement, and our aim is to increase the number of Scandinavian visitors to our shores be between 5 and 10%. Statistics show a steady annual increase in the number of Scandinavian tourists to Sharjah - a trend which we aim to maintain through continuous promotion of our various attractions to the Scandinavian market."

Sheikh Sultan presented the emirate to his Swedish guests during their meeting, giving them an overview of the emirate's history and the different attractions and the investment options that distinguish Sharjah from other destinations in the region.

His Excellency, Mr Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Director General of the SCTDA, also commented on the opportunities inherent in the Anderson agreement for Scandinavian nationals and pointed out the convenience of the Sharjah International Airport, which is a stop for a number of Scandinavian flights en route to the Far East, especially in the winter months, citing the example of May Travel Airline, which recorded approximately 486 stops at Sharjah International Airport between October 2007 and April 2008 en route to various destinations.

"This year, we have developed new strategies aimed at opening new markets and increasing the rate of tourist and investment influx into the emirate of Sharjah through the establishment of representative offices in various countries across the globe. With this agreement, we also aim to increase awareness of the Sharjah tourism brand and to make Sharjah the tourist destination of choice for all travelers from Scandinavia to the Far East,"

Al Noman said.

The emirate of Sharjah today provides an attractive investment environment for all types of economic activity, thus boosting its position on the international maps in terms of commerce and industry, tourism, culture and other activities. The emirate's reputation, combined with its investor-friendly laws, have been instrumental in attracting investors to the region, as have the SCTDA's continuous promotion of the emirate's unique selling points on a global scale.