Sharjah: The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has unveiled its tourism statistics for the first half of year, showing a significant increase in the number of visitors to the emirate. The figures crossed the one million mark, jumping 15 per cent over the same period last year when the emirate received 955,355 tourists.
“The figures underscore the continuing, sustained growth of the tourism sector in the emirate”, said Mohammad Ali Al No’man, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority.
The first half statistics reflect a stable occupancy of nearly 74 per cent at hotels even during the normally low season summer months in the emirate of Sharjah. Hotel establishments recorded 1,817,416 guest nights, including 110,621 guest nights for hotels and 711,206 guest nights for hotel apartments.
The half-yearly results show an encouraging 6 per cent increase in the guest nights in hotels for the low season, indicating very positive growth figures ahead.
According to the SCTDA statistics, European tourists once again came out on top. Sharjah received 409,578 European visitors in the first half, accounting for 37 per cent of the total number of tourists. Russian tourists made up 25 per cent of the total number of European visitors.
The second spot was taken by visitors from GCC countries. Sharjah received 369,485 visitors from the Gulf states, accounting for 34 per cent of the total share of tourists.
They were followed by Asian tourists at 13 per cent and visitors from other Arab countries at 12 per cent. The nationals from the Americas, Africa and the Pacific accounted for 5 per cent.
The total number of hotel facilities in Sharjah stands at 106 (50 hotels and 56 hotel apartments). The number of hotel rooms has touched 10,000. The emirate has been making efforts to boost and expand the hotel industry capacity by encouraging international investors and hotel groups to invest in the hospitality sector in order to raise the number of hotel rooms to at least 14,000 in near future. Growth in hotel rooms shows renewed confidence by investors in Sharjah’s tourism industry.
Commenting on the statistics, SCTDA Chairman Al No’man observed that these positive results confirm the growing profile of Sharjah in the region and the world as a pioneering family, cultural and leisure tourism destination with world-class infrastructure, celebrated heritage, museums, shopping centres and many avenues of leisure.
