Sharjah announces its participation in EMITT 2009

This exhibition represents SCTDA's first participation in an international event for the year.

EMITT 2009 will be held in Istanbul from 12 to 15 February and will feature 2,000 exhibitors from 55 countries, as well as participants from the tourism ministries of more than 50 countries. The exhibition is an important event that highlights the activities on offer in the region's tourism industry, and is the best place for those working in all areas of the tourism sector to gather and promote tourism amongst participating countries

SCTDA's 2009 strategy includes promotional campaigns in over 15 major international exhibitions, as well as a number of trade fairs and promotional tours, with the aim of further enhancing the growth witnessed in the emirate's tourism sectors over the last years.

Sharjah's participation in the activities of the 13th EMITT exhibition, which is being held with the support of the Turkish tourism authority and Istanbul Municipality (in addition to more than 36 tourism authorities and organizations in Turkey), follows the resounding success of its involvement in EMITT 2008. The emirate's 2008 stand received an overwhelming response from key international tourism industry players, created international exposure for the emirate as key holiday destination, and, consequently, attracted a substantial number of Turkish tourists. The Authority has earned several prestigious international awards for its participation in previous editions of the EMITT.

Sharjah's delegation to EMITT 2009 will include senior representatives from the SCTDA, the Sharjah International Airport Authority, Air Arabia and the Radisson SAS Resort.

There is no doubt that the participation of the Emirate of Sharjah in the activities of this important international tourism exhibition reflects the success of its past involvement and the continuing success that the emirate has achieved through different international gatherings. All of this contributes to SCTDA's aim to strengthen Sharjah's presence on the world map.

Through its participation in the EMITT exhibition, the SCTDA seeks to increase the emirate's share in Turkey's growing travel and tourism market. The Authority will also hold a series of meetings with a number of Turkey's business and tourism leaders to study the Turkish tourism model, as the new tourism policy adopted recently in Turkey encompasses a vision for 2010 in which 30 million tourists and a $30bn income are expected.

SCTDA will benefit from the strong presence of Air Arabia in Turkey, having already played a significant role in introducing the airline to the Turkish travel market during its previous participations in EMITT, and promoting it as the first low-fare airline in the Middle East and North Africa region. Since Air Arabia commenced its operations to Istanbul in May 2006, the company has been working together with the SCTDA to expand the Authority's presence in the Turkish travel and tourism market.

Statistics show that most Turkish tourists prefer heritage tourism and shopping destinations, and the SCTDA has thus identified EMITT 2009 as an essential promotional platform for the emirate of Sharjah as a unique destination for families to learn about heritage, history and culture. These three aspects will enhance the position of the Emirate of Sharjah on the world map, and support the SCTDA's aim to attract more Turkish tourists to the Emirates.

Sharjah's decision to participate in EMITT for the 6th consecutive year is the result of the consistent success that the exhibition has experienced since 1997, and the great role it plays in uniting the viewpoints of people working in the global tourism sector. While last year's event attracted over 150,000 visitors and 1,200 exhibitors from 40 countries, this year is set to be even bigger, with 2,000 exhibitors representing 55 different countries covering 10 exhibition halls. More than 200,000 visitors are expected, and with such great numbers the Emirate of Sharjah is set to gain substantially from Turkey's trade and tourism market.

The trade show will also present an ideal platform for Air Arabia to expand its services to Turkey and to showcase its core attributes of efficiency, convenience, safety, innovation, customer satisfaction and above all, its low-fares concept.