The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has confirmed that it will be joining leading participants in the Riyadh Travel Fair, taking place on March 28-29, 2019, to highlight tourism, cultural and leisure attractions in Sharjah and promote the emirate as one of the most significant local and international tourism destinations. Participation in the 11th edition of the event will focus on eco-tourism and outdoor activities, with a strong emphasis on new branded hotel projects, in line with SCTDA's commitment to promoting Sharjah's tourism market in the Arab markets, especially in Saudi Arabia – one of the largest Gulf markets for tourists to the emirate Commenting on the participation, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, SCTDA, said: "Our participation at the Riyadh Travel Fair is in line with our strategic plans to promote the emirate of Sharjah as a leading tourist destination in the world's major tourism markets and to ensure our presence on the global tourism map. This exhibition is of great importance as it is an ideal platform for us to review the competitive advantages and capabilities that make Sharjah a cultural, tourism and leisure center and a symbol of cultural excellence in the region. The Gulf region is a very competitive market because of the similarity of equivalent countries in climate, terrain and geographical location, and this requires us to provide exceptional tourism products for GCC tourists, who accounted for 45 per cent of the total number of Arab tourists to the emirate last year." Al Midfa added: "We always seek to promote Sharjah in various Arab and international exhibitions and forums in cooperation with various bodies in the public and private sectors. We take this approach because of the emirate's unique characteristics and diversity in tourism products that meet the interests of different tourists, which include culture, arts, environment, history, science, entertainment, desert adventures and many more. The emirate of Sharjah is characterized by its position as the third largest emirate of the UAE and is distinguished by its geographical location that overlooks the coasts of the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Furthermore, it boasts dazzling diversity in topography and nature. Enhanced efforts will now be made to support the emirate's agenda for the 2019 World Book Fair, with a series of cultural events held for a year, starting April 23. We are looking forward to opening new horizons for cooperation with a number of stakeholders in the tourism, travel and hospitality sectors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to consolidate bridges of exchange of the most successful experiences and best practices in the development of tourism services and products.» The joint delegation from the emirate of Sharjah, headed by SCTDA, includes a prominent group of government and private bodies including Sharjah Airport Travel Agency: SATA; Sharjah Collection; Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa ; Tulip Inn Hotel, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, Cozmo Travel LLC; and TravTalk Magazine. Within the framework of expanding the presence of the emirate of Sharjah, SCTDA participates continuously in various Arab and international exhibitions and platforms to target promising tourism markets. The Saudi market is currently one of the main active markets in the Gulf and SCTDA is keen to build effective partnerships with leading Saudi travel and tourism companies and understand the interests and requirements of the Saudi tourist to enrich their tourism experience. The Authority is keen to highlight the most important tourism and leisure projects and strategic initiatives aimed at developing tourism products in an innovative way. Doing so will enhance the travel experience of the Arab visitor and raise the proportion of Gulf and Arab tourism in the region, in line with the Sharjah Tourism Vision 2021 which aims to welcome 10 million tourists by 2021. Sharjah is one of the most important tourist destinations attracting Saudi tourists - cited as a unique family and cultural destination that combines cultural heritage, natural wealth, tourism and leisure facilities. The emirate was recently chosen as the «World Book Capital of 2019», in recognition of its pivotal role in promoting the culture of reading and establishing knowledge as an effective tool in enhancing the dialogue of human civilizations. The award ensured Sharjah became the first Gulf city and the third in the Arab world and the Middle East region to be recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). — SG
