Sharjah leads to Moscow to promote tourism industry

Sharjah / WAM

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) headed to Moscow from Berlin to continue promoting international travel to the emirate.
The Authority is heading a delegation, which includes key representatives from Sharjah tourism and travel players, to Moscow International Trade and Tourism, MITT, Russia’s leading and largest travel exhibition and one of the five largest exhibitions specialising in international travel.
The delegation is continuing to forge ahead with their promotion of the tourism industry through presenting Sharjah as a perfect family holiday destination, offering unparalleled culture and heritage,
along with unique outdoor tourism opportunities.
During 2016, Sharjah welcomed a 12 percent increase in guests from Russia and CIS countries against the global growth of 4.3 percent. The outbound market from Russia had decreased globally over previous years and it is an extremely positive sign that there was such a significant increase to Sharjah in 2016.
The Authority is working strategically to build on this increase throughout 2017 and the participation in MITT is just one part of that plan. Other significant developments include the January opening of a new PR office based in Moscow. The representative office is responsible for driving up visitor numbers to Sharjah, developing new trade partnerships and opening doors to Russian marketing channels. The office is already active and its work was reflected in the number of successful meetings held in Russia.
“This year MITT has been the most successful yet, with the top five outbound operators wanting to meet and make strategic partnerships on the Sharjah stand it has definitely been one of the most fulfilling shows yet,” Khalid Jasmin Al Midfa, SCTDA Chairman, said.
“We often hold meetings and the outcomes follow later, but at this show, they really wanted to solidify future planning there. We are especially confident of exceptional growth from this market this year.”
Al Midfa stressed the importance of strengthening Sharjah’s presence in the Russian market, one of
the foremost tourist markets for Sharjah.
He also stated that, “Sharjah occupies a prominent place in the Russian market for its diversified product, unparalleled culture and heritage, award-winning museums and cultural centres on the one hand, and excellent tourist and recreational facilities on the other, along with a series of beachfront resort hotels offering a variety of sporting and family activities. This market is also attracted by the tax-free shopping available in Sharjah’s many malls and souks.”