Emirate To Be Showcased At Moscow Tourism Fair
More than 300,000 Russian tourists visited Sharjah during Year 2012
After the remarkable success at the ITB Berlin (International Tourism Bourse) earlier this month, Sharjah is headed to the Moscow International Travel and Tourism fair to woo the growing number of Russian tourists. For the 13th year, Sharjah will be showcased at the 20th edition of the MITT exhibition being held from March 20 to 23 in the Russian capital.
HE Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority will once again lead the Sharjah delegation to Moscow, which includes representatives from the Sharjah Airport Authority, Air Arabia, Sharjah Museums Department, Sharjah National Hotels, Hotel Radisson Blu, Grand Hotel Sharjah, Time Ruby Hotel Apartments, Arabian Link Tours and Khalidiyah Group.
In recent years, there has been a sharp surge in the arrival of Russian tourists in Sharjah. SCTDA Chairman Al Noman disclosed that Year 2012 saw a whopping 47 per cent increase in Russian arrivals with 304,978 tourists visiting the emirate as against 207,671 in Year 2011. The participation in Moscow fair is one of the key items on the SCTDA’s itinerary for the current year and is aimed at boosting the emirate’s presence in global tourism markets, especially the Russian market.
Underscoring the importance of the Moscow exhibition, Al Noman said it has helped the emirate establish itself in the vast Russian market, showcasing its strengths and specialities as a tourist destination with a difference. Sharjah’s emphasis on culture and heritage, its natural landscape, moderate climate and endless leisure options made it an ideal destination for Russian tourists, emphasised Al Noman. The Russians formed a significant 18 per cent of Sharjah’s total number of tourists during the year 2012, he added.
The success in successive exhibitions in Moscow reflected itself in a marked increase in the number of Russian tourists to the emirate. This adds to the Authority’s responsibility to continuously work to enhance the emirate’s tourism profile regionally and globally. The Authority is making all efforts in cooperation with various government and private sector players in tourism, travel, leisure, and hospitality sectors to develop Sharjah’s tourism offering according to international standards, providing all the facilities and services for Russian and international tourists, added the SCTDA Chairman.
Al Noman emphasised that Sharjah occupies a prominent place on the list of favorite tourist destinations of Russian tourists because of its natural and cultural diversity, heritage, museums, endless beaches and prehistoric sites etc. Besides, the emirate boasts a busy calendar of global festivals and cultural events and offers plenty of opportunities for shopping and leisure throughout the year because of its sunny weather for Russian and European travellers.
The eye-catching Sharjah pavilion at the Moscow fair will showcase the best of the emirate’s tourist attractions, culture, heritage and leisure opportunities, celebrating both its traditional past and modernity of the present. Guide books and promotional literature in both Russian and English will be available for the benefit of the MITT visitors.
The Moscow International Travel and Tourism fair attracts each year and over four days an array of travel and tourism players, tourism destinations, hotels and resorts and service industry. The exhibition attracts more than 3,000 companies and 197 destinations from around the world and extensive media coverage from the European and international media.
Emirate: Sharjah
Date: Mar 17, 2013
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