Sharjah hospitality facilities gradually recovering from economic turmoil

This is according to H.E. Mr Mohamed A. Al Noman, Director General of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), who went on to say that the gains achieved by Sharjah's hotels are contributing to increasing the emirate's growth rate and compensating for the effects of the downturn that took place.

Al Noman, who headed up the SCTDA delegation to ITB Asia, which took place at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Center from 21 to 23 October, was speaking at a meeting held yesterday between the SCTDA and the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), represented by Executive Director Margaret Heng.

"We are closely monitoring the performance of Sharjah's hotels and we are very pleased to say that they have rebounded from the lowest levels, which occurred at the end of 2008, and are currently experiencing occupancy rates of around 75%, which is in line with the figures recorded at the same time last year,"

said Al Noman.

"Many countries recognize the importance of strengthening the role of the tourism sector in the economy because of its significant contribution to the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the fact that it can act as a driving force for various sectors of the economy," he added.

"The global financial crisis proved that tourism can be a reliable source of capital when other sectors are struggling due to the effects of the downturn. Moreover, tourism now has strategies in place and experts who focus on setting policies for the sector, with the aim of providing an attractive and competitive tourist environment that targets both investors and tourists from all parts of the world."

"The SCTDA's participation in ITB Asia affirms Sharjah's determination to continue developing the tourism sector, and to cater to the wishes of the many tourists who are interested in the UAE's tourism product and who want to find out more about Sharjah and the UAE. Sharjah has already succeeded in extensively promoting its tourism product and attracting numerous tourists from all over the world. This achievement has been reflected in the several awards that the emirate has received over the past year, and which have made it a prominent tourist destination concomitant with the UAE's status in all international arenas," Al Noman continued.

Ms Heng welcomed the SCTDA delegation to Singapore and provided briefed them on SHA's role and activities in Singapore's tourism sector. She also showed the delegation the future plans for the hotel industry in Singapore, which was hit fairly hard by the financial crisis with hotel occupancy declining by nine percent, resulting in a 22 percent decline in revenue.

Ms Heng also praised Sharjah's new hotel classification system and welcomed the idea of collaboration between SHA and the SCTDA to develop mutually beneficial programmes and promote management and technical workshops.

On a separate visit, Al Noman and SCTDA delegation met with Thoeng Tjhoen Onn, Senior Vice President of Singapore Airlines, and his delegation to discuss cooperation between the the tourism sector and training services. During the meeting, Al Noman updated those in attendance about the expansion at Sharjah International Airport, while Onn noted the importance of Sharjah as a cargo hub for Singapore Airlines.

SCTDA's participation in ITB Asia marks its 10th international participation for 2009, in addition to its 15 local participations. The Authority has also been involved in 11 local initiatives such as workshops and forums, and 7 promotional campaigns, and is currently preparing for the annual Sharjah Water festival, which boasts a number of entertainment activities, and which will include one of the world's most high profile sports events - the Sharjah Grand Prix-UIM Formula 1 Power Boat Championship.