15 % increase in GCC tourists to Turkey in 2008 - UAE tourists increase by 39%

Statistics show that more than 18.5 million tourists visited Turkey in the first eight months of 2008, an increase of 15 percent over the same period in 2007. There was also a large increase in the number of GCC tourists in general, with a 55 percent increase in the number from Kuwait, a 39 percent increase from the UAE, 27 percent from Bahrain, 24 percent from KSA, and 13 percent from Qatar.

These increases prompted the Director General of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Mohamed A. Al Noman, to meet with Istanbul Mayor, Muammer Guler, on a recent visit to Turkey to discuss ways in which to strengthen tourism relations between Turkey and the GCC, particularly Sharjah, as the two share a deep sense of heritage and culture.

Speaking of his visit, Al Noman said,

"Sharjah and Turkey have much in common in terms of tourism, both being deeply rooted in their cultural heritage, which presents us with a fantastic opportunity to explore the many possible ways in which we could all benefit. We are proud to join hands with a fellow custodian of our cultural inheritance and it is our hope to see the growth that both of our tourism sectors have enjoyed over the past several years continue."

Mayor Guler expressed his confidence that tourism ties between Turkey and GCC countries will continue to strengthen, despite the current world crisis, and welcomed Al Noman's efforts to ensure this. "I am delighted to welcome His Excellency Mr Mohamed Al Noman to my beloved Turkey and look forward to working closely with the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority to enhance the relationship between our two nations."

"I appreciate the efforts of the Emirate of Sharjah in activating the role of the heritage and culture tourism, and I thank the SCTDA for selecting Turkey as their partner in this field. Sharjah is an important partner for Turkey in all fields, not only tourism, and we are confident that the SCTDA's decision to partner with Turkey, and their efforts to enhance the relationship between Turkey and the Emirate of Sharjah, and the UAE in general, will further improve the common investment opportunities between the two countries," Mayor Guler added.

Tourism in both Sharjah and Turkey has seen tremendous growth over the past several years, and both have seen a 100% increase in the number of tourists received in the last five years.

The SCTDA kicked off an intensive promotional campaign for the emirate's tourism sector toward the end of 2007, unveiling the new Brand Sharjah, upgrading the emirate's infrastructure, increasing hotel capacity and embarking on a series of international tours aimed at increasing global interest in Sharjah as a world-class tourist destination.