SCTDA discusses ways to strengthen tourism ties with Turkey

Al Noman's statement was made during a meeting held with Professor Ahmet Emre Bilgili, Director of Culture and Tourism Ministry, Istanbul, during which the two parties discussed new strategies to facilitate tourist exchange and provide the necessary support for joint cooperation in a way that serves their mutual interests.

Al Noman said the two parties have the potential to open up new vistas of tourism cooperation, as both have deep-rooted historical relations, as well as the ambition and willingness to expand relations.

Al Noman added:

"We have 21 Turkish firms, 27 agencies and 244 brands in the UAE. Bilateral relations are poised for spectacular growth over the next five years, with plans to invest over Dhs40bn in the UAE. This urges us to work closely with Turkey to enhance our relations in all sectors, particularly the tourism sector."

"We seek to enhance tourist promotion and achieve sustainable growth of our national tourist product to enable it reach various regional and international tourism markets," Al Noman continued. "These efforts come as part of our strategic plan to preserve our cultural and historical heritage. We consider the Turkish model a promising one, looking at the multitude of advanced tourism programmes and facilities they have."

Al Noman explained that recent studies have shown that tourism performance in the region is exceeding global forecasts, with an average of 17.3% growth in tourist arrivals during the first eight months of 2008, compared to an average of 4% in other parts of the world.

"Statistics issued by the World Tourism Organization (WTO) forecast a decline in tourist arrivals in the Middle East, to an average of between three and eight percent, and yet the growth rates in the region, and in Asia as well, continue to exceed global averages. This encourages us to offer further facilities to develop regional tourism. We discussed various methods of cooperation, including facilitating visa and custom policies to enhance tourism, and improving cooperation in transport, particularly air transport," he said.

Professor Ahmet Emre Bilgili, Director of Culture and Tourism Ministry, Istanbul, reiterated Turkish willingness to be open to Arab tourism and to enhance cooperation with Sharjah: "I am delighted to welcome Mr Mohamed Al Noman to my beloved Turkey. There are numerous geographical, cultural, historical and religious similarities between Turkey and Sharjah, and the emirate is an important destination in our tourism plans, as it enjoys growth across all sectors, including tourism, based on a strategic vision that sees tourism as a pillar to economic and culture activities. We are keen to work closely with the SCTDA to enhance the relationship between our two nations."

According to WTO statistics, the number of tourists in the Middle East region reached 46 million, and the region led the way in terms of tourism growth, with a growth rate of 13%, followed by the Asia and Pacific region with ten percent, Africa with eight percent, the Americas with five percent, and Europe with 4%. In the UAE, the average annual growth rate for the tourism sector in 2008 was calculated at between 15% and 20%, far exceeding the global average of 4.4%.