Sharjah- 17 October 2009
In a marketing and promotional move aiming to boost the emirate of Sharjah’s position on the international tourism map and to confirm the success it has already achieved, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has announced its first participation in the International Tourism Bourse Asia (ITB Asia), which will be held at the Sontec Conference and Exhibition Center in Singapore from 21 to 23 October 2009.

The Authority’s decision to participate in the exhibition forms part of its strategy to promote Sharjah’s tourism attractions and investment opportunities to new markets.

Speaking of the event, Director General of the SCTDA H.E. Mohamed A. Al Noman said: “The emirate of Sharjah is increasingly being recognized as a favoured destination on the world tourism map, and the SCTDA is working according to a clear strategy to develop the emirate’s tourism sector further by targeting international markets and organizing events and activities that promote the emirate, such as tourism fairs, trade fairs and promotional tours. Asia is definitely an important market for Sharjah’s tourism sector, and the emirate is already a destination of choice for Asian tourists, who accounted for 21 percent of the emirate’s total visitors in the first three quarters of this year.”

“The SCTDA is committed to continuing to promote Sharjah’s uniquely diverse tourism offering to people all over the world, and to reaffirming its competitiveness as a unique tourist destination. Our aim is also to promote the upcoming activities and initiatives that we have planned for the remainder of this year, including the Sharjah Grand Prix 2009 – the final round of the F1 Powerboat World Championships – which attracts a large number of spectators from around the world every year,” Al Noman added.

Sharjah’s delegation to ITB Asia includes representatives from various institutions within the emirate, including the SCTDA, Radisson Blu Resort, Tulip Inn Hotel and Orient Tours.

Sharjah’s stand features a balanced mix of traditional and modern designs specifically chosen to reflect the emirate’s new brand, and will showcase Sharjah’s attractions. The SCTDA will provide visitors to the stand with English-language information on the emirate and its tourism offering.

ITB Asia is one the biggest tourism-specific exhibitions in the tourism industry, gathering a host of tourism experts. Last year’s edition saw the participation of a large number of participants, and had attracted a vast number of visitors with its numerous activities.

ITB Asia is a three-day B2B trade show and convention that takes place in Singapore, and offers participants the perfect platform to enter the Asian tourism market. During the exhibition, international exhibitors from all sectors related to the tourism and travel value chain come together with Asia Pacific’s leading companies and emerging small and medium-sized enterprises to meet with top buyers from the MICE, Leisure and Corporate Travel markets.

Ends