Al Qasba gears up for extensive participation at Arabian Travel Market 2009

Participating for the fifth consecutive year, Al Qasba aims to promote and showcase its various services and activities which positioned it to be one of UAE's major touristic attractions and a key driver in the growth of Sharjah's tourism.

Through the participation, Al Qasba plans to play a major role in Sharjah's tourism industry which is expected to host over 3.5 million tourists by 2012, according to recent studies.

For the first time in four years, Al Qasba will be showcasing its services in its own stand (Hall 2, United Arab Emirates pavilion, stand 2250) at the exhibition after participating in the past four years within the Sharjah grand stand.

Al Qasba officials have revealed that the decision was made based on the existence of a wider repertoire of events and the recent general expansion of the premier tourism and cultural destination. Al Qasba will be displaying its services to the public in a newly designed, head-turning stand which is expected to attract the visitors' attention.

The stand will be surrounded by several differently silhouettes that will create an entertaining ambiance for the visitors. Furthermore, Al Qasba has revealed that it will be offering tour operators and travel professionals a wide range of special packages and invitations to the events that are set to take place over the year.

Also, visitors at the stand can keep their business cards in order to have the chance to win a travel ticket in a special draw that will be organized in the last day of the exhibition.

Commenting on the participation, Hazem Al Sawaf, Marketing and Communications Director of Al Qasba Development Authority said, "Our participation at ATM this year will be the largest scale participation at a travel and tourism exhibition to date. We are confident that Al Qasba will attract a great deal of interest among local as well as foreign visitors. We strongly believe that the Emirate of Sharjah will be one of the most sought-after touristic destinations in the coming years, and our plan is to be among the leading drivers of this growth in the emirate's tourism industry."

The tourism industry is considered today as one of Sharjah's greatest revenue sources, especially with the intention from Sharjah's government to launch further tourist ventures and construct tourist cities and villages to attract both tourists and investors to the emirate. Tourist attractions that are available in the Emirate, particularly the cultural and heritage aspects, distinguish Sharjah from other areas in the region.

In addition, the tourism sector makes up a significant part of Sharjah's gross domestic product, as well as that of the UAE, and statistics have shown that Sharjah has become a tourist hub for visitors from around the world, due to many tourist attractions available in the Emirate, which is full of historic places and enjoys a moderate climate and wonderful natural environment.

Being the 16th edition of the event, the 2009 edition of Arabian Travel Market is dedicated to unlocking the business potential within the Middle East region, uniting key market players from six continents, and create the ideal platform for intensive meetings, seminars, press conferences and social networking opportunities.