An Excellent Season Is Anticipated Based On Sharjah’s Tourism Performance During The First Half Of 2022

The rapid infrastructure and sustainable development are attracting a wide range of tourists. The inauguration of mega tourism projects amidst the pandemic currently reflects the outcome. The Sharjah commerce and tourism development authority has witnessed enormous growth in tourism and hospitality in the last year. 

In the first of 2022, the tourism authority encountered a gigantic amount of tourists. Compared to the last year’s same period, the tourism industry registered a 12 percent increase in the count of hotel guests, spiking a growth of 11 percent with occupancy held high at 66 percent. According to the Sharjah commerce and tourism development authority, they witnessed a 50 percent increase in earnings from the hotel compared to last year, in other words, the tourism industry was able to land a whopping AED 200 million in the first half of the year.

What Is The Reason Behind InThis?

The reason for such mammoth incomes is because the emirate consists of more than 100 hotels functioning with around 10,000+ rooms, which include twelve 5-star hotels with around 950+ rooms, 4-stars numbering 20 consisting of more than 2300+ rooms, 33 hotels scaling between one and three stars accompanying more than 2400 rooms. Moreover 2000+ rooms in 39 apartments.

These data are revealed by the Sharjah commerce and tourism development authority (SCTDA). The UAE’s decision to lift covid restrictions has witnessed tremendous growth in the number of tourists from other emirate countries and the rest of the world.

Sharjah tourism industry registered 55,200+ hotel guests from Oman, which is 10 fold increase comparing the previous year and 31,500+ Saudi Arabian tourists have checked in as hotel guests in the emirate. Sharjah also witnessed nearly 56,000 hotel guests from Russia and 75,600 guests from India during the first half of 2022

These statistics reveal Sharjah’s strength and competitiveness in the tourism sector, which in fact is opening the way for more tourists across the world by developing the tourism infrastructures and increasing hotels. In other words, the emirates tourism standard are boosting itself to an international tourism destination

This gigantic growth in the first half was addressed at the annual hotelier meeting at the Sheraton Sharjah Resort & Spa on Thursday. The event attracted owners and investors from different hotel establishments and was conducted in the attendance of HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of SCTDA, and Sheikh Salem bin Mohammed bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director of SCTDA.

In the keynote speech, the chairman of SCTDA Khalid Jassim Al Midfa conveys the key to such mammoth success is the establishment of several key tourism projects in the past few years.

These projects now indicate the core strength of Sharjah’s economy. In addition, the unique diverse tourism offerings such as culture, entertainment, eco-tourism, and other activities are promoting the tourism industry as well as raising opportunities in the hospitality sector. These unique principle ideas and strategic plans to reinforcing the status of the emirate Sharjah as an international tourism destination.

The manager of the tourism standards department of SCTDA, Ahmed Obaid Al Tunaiji addressed that the tourism sector is an important pillar for the economy of the emirate, moreover tourism industry promotes sustainable growth in the emirate.

In the future, they aim to develop more tourist destinations and hostel facilities to spike Sharjah’s share in the global tourism market. Consistent and honorable relationships with international travel and tourism agencies have so far benefitted the growth of the tourism industry by attracting potential visitors from time to time to the emirate.

Two new projects are launched during the meeting, first one “Holiday Homes Project” this projects aims to benefit both residents and the government. They have provided an official guideline of blueprint to the residents of the emirate who wishes to rent out their places as holiday homes to tourists. 

The second project is to provide training plans and opportunities to the workforce in the hotel establishments of the emirate, to target more tourists by providing generous hospitality. This project was announced by the Industry Professional Training Department at SCTDA.