Sharjah: The emirate's hotel occupancy rate rose to 70 per cent in July compared to the same period last year, with GCC tourists remaining the top visitors to the emirate, according to the latest report by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Department (SCTDA).
During the same period, the number of hotel apartment guests increased by 14 per cent to reach 68,363 compared to 59,888 guests last year. The number of nights spent at hotel apartments increased by 12 per cent to reach 65,626.
GCC tourists constituted 45 per cent of Sharjah's top visitors, SCTDA statistics showed.
Culture, affordability, and proximity to Dubai are the top reasons for this growth, according to Ellen Montanari, senior consultant with TRI Hospitality Consulting.
"Historically, summer is the time for GCC travel to the UAE with families. A lot of them prefer Sharjah to Dubai due to its conservative environment. It's a dry emirate, more family-friendly, and more lady-friendly than properties in Dubai," she said, noting the absence of nightclubs and alcohol.
Sharjah hotel rates are more reasonable than its glitzy neighbour's. Average rates for five-star hotels range from D450 to Dh500 per night and four-star hotels charge Dh200-Dh300 a night, Montanari said.
Arab tourists come for the "culture-oriented" experience while non-Arabs favour Sharjah for its price advantage as a beach holiday near Dubai, she noted.
"People didn't realise what Sharjah was. They wanted to go to Dubai for a holiday. Sharjah was only 20 minutes away...," she said. "While economic performance between Dubai and Sharjah might be inter-related, Sharjah has proven its ability to maintain strong economic performance despite the financial crisis and its impact on global tourism," said Mohammad Al No'man, Director of SCTDA, in an e-mail to Gulf News, adding that Sharjah has seen "very little or no effect" on hotel occupancy and tourism.
Still Sharjah is attempting to differentiate itself from its world-famous neighbour by playing up its own advantages.
"Sharjah is believed to have the most vibrant history of all the emirates and it is this rich heritage and culture that has enticed people into the area for many years," Al No'man said.
So why should tourists visit Sharjah?
As a tourism destination Sharjah boasts more than 20 museums and cultural centres such as the Sharjah Theatre Institute and the Discovery Centre, he said. It also offers visitors an aquatic centre, wildlife park, shopping malls and traditional souqs, desert entertainment and beach resorts, he added.
For the adventurous, there are outdoor activities from hiking, camping, desert driving, to scuba diving, he noted.
Aggressive promotion
Its annual calendar marks the Sharjah Grand Prix, Water Festival, and Lights Festival.
"There's been an aggressive promotion of Sharjah by the tourism authority, with hotel classification and Air Arabia expanding its routes," said George Mousa, chairman of Planet Group, a travel and cargo agency.
"Traffic to Sharjah increased from the GCC because of furnished apartments with good prices and the [SCTDA] promotions for GCC visitors."
According to Al No'man, Sharjah is implementing a hotel classification system to "ensure consistent quality of services to visitors" and a programme to train and license tour guides.
The SCTDA has also promoted Sharjah in international exhibitions and events including the Shanghai International Expo and the Beijing International Tourism Expo, he said.
It teamed up with Air Arabia and other tourism bodies to organise a promotional tour to Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, added.
"The Authority has a clear strategy based on targeting leading markets by participating in the world's largest tourism and trade exhibitions and organising promotional tours worldwide," he said.
Though Sharjah is on the regional tourism map for visitors seeking a conservative environment, it still has a long way to go, said Montanari. "I don't think Sharjah is on the global tourism map," she added.
It needs major investment, more international airlines flying in, a critical mass of new hotels, and exposure abroad, she added. Before the global crisis, Sharjah was an attractive destination for tourists from the former Soviet Union but as the recession hit their region in the last 18 months they are unlikely to travel much, she said.
"Sharjah should look elsewhere into expanding its market in Asia and China," she said.
Performance index
Sharjah's tourism performance in the first half of 2010:
- 11 %: Increase in number of tourists to Sharjah
- 45%: European visitors to Sharjah
- 25%: GCC visitors to Sharjah
- 14%: Asian visitors
- 11%: Arab countries
- 5%: Commonwealth, US, Africa, Pacific region
Source: Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority
