Russian tourist arrivals in Sharjah continue to grow

After its spectacular success at the just concluded ITB 2012 exhibition in Berlin where Sharjah bagged the Best Middle East Exhibitor Award once again beating formidable competition from established and big tourism players in the region, the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) is headed to the 19th Moscow International Travel and Tourism (MITT) fair, being held in the Russian capital from March 21 to 24. SCTDA Chairman Mohamed Ali Al Noman is heading a delegation of representatives of Sharjah’s government departments and leading players of the tourism and hospitality industry.    Russia has emerged as the largest single tourism market for Sharjah in recent years. As in 2010, Year 2011 saw the Russian travellers form the biggest chunk of the emirate’s tourist arrivals. Last year, the emirate attracted 207,617 tourists from Russia.    During the Moscow exhibition, which will be Sharjah’s 13th participation in the event, the SCTDA is to kick-off an aggressive and well thought out campaign to promote the emirate, enhancing its already formidable profile on the global tourism map. “Our participation in the MITT is part of our strategy to attract more international visitors,” said Al Noman. “Our efforts are aimed at consolidating the series of steps that the Authority has taken over the past few years to turn the spotlight on this beautiful emirate that is a complete tourist destination for the whole family.” Noman emphasised that SCTDA’s successful participation in the Moscow fair over the past decade is a reflection of Sharjah’s immense interest in the Russian tourism market.  “Russia is our biggest and most important tourism market right now. And the Moscow fair has helped us a great deal in our efforts to reach out to Russian tourists and those from CIS nations,” he said. While thanks to its unique heritage and diverse tourism attractions Sharjah is already an attractive tourism destination of choice for thousands of visitors from around the world, its participation in the 2012 edition of the MITT spectacle is part of the emirate’s strategy to secure a leading position in international tourism market contributing to the emirate’s economic growth.   Sharjah remains one of the most popular and favourite destinations for Russian tourists, who view the emirate as a symbol of family, cultural and heritage tourism. The statistics from Sharjah’s hospitality industry show a strong year-on-year growth in the number of Russian tourists over the last five years. In fact, the Russians ranked first among all tourist arrivals in Sharjah.  Striving for excellence, Sharjah has each year showcased the best of its heritage, culture and tourist attractions at its eye catching pavilion and stands at the Moscow fair. The Sharjah delegation includes, besides the SCTDA team, the Sharjah International Airport Authority, Air Arabia, Sharjah Museums Department, Ramada Sharjah, Radisson Blu, Sharjah National Hotels, MH Group of Hotels, Al Khalidiah Tourism and Constemp Travel Club.