Sharjah delegation visits major Indian cities to attract more tourists

The SCTDA team arranged a series of meetings in Mumbai with a comprehensive network of stakeholders including hoteliers, travel agents, tour operators and airline representatives. Their second stop was the capital, New Delhi, where they held meetings with stakeholders from the tourism, tourism and hospitality industries.

The next stop on the SCTDA roadshow itinerary is the southern city of Hyderabad, and the last stop is Chennai from September 1st to 3rd.

The delegation is presenting brand new attractions for tourists and guests from India. Unique new projects such as Sharjah Safari – the world’s largest safari park outside Africa; new resorts and hotels; high-end beachfront developments and more, creating new opportunities for Indian tourists, regardless of age group or interests. The emirate can be explored and enjoyed and seen with new eyes.

New and upcoming developments in the tourism and hospitality industries worth millions of dirhams, offering travellers from India the opportunity to enjoy novel experiences as solo travellers or with their families continues to grow. For business travel, the UAE is diversifying its hotel offerings, including heritage-inspired boutique hotels and world-class MICE options.

According to a recently released SCTDA report, Sharjah hotels welcomed more than 270,000 guests in the second quarter, an increase of 4% compared to last year. During the said period, more than 30,000 Indian guests stayed at hotels in Sharjah, an increase of 19% compared to last year’s number of guests, with Indian guests accounting for 12.8% of total hotel guests in Sharjah.

Describing the strategic importance of the India Roadshow, Al Midfa said: “Historically, India has been a key source market for Sharjah. This is why we are looking to increase the potential to receive more Indian tourists. Business travel has always been One of our key sub-sectors, with the announcement of the UAE-India CEPA Free Trade Agreement in early February, we have seen a significant increase in business travellers arriving in Sharjah. In terms of tourists, India-Sharjah air traffic has returned to COVID-19 -19 levels”.

He added: “With an average flight time of 3 to 5 hours in our emirate’s family-friendly attractions, whether in culture, nature, sports, leisure, entertainment or any other area, Sharjah has always been a popular destination for those looking for a quick weekend escape or even India. A top destination for guests on extended vacations. With brand new attractions popping up every other month, and the ease of commuting, we expect a large number of Indian tourists to arrive in Sharjah.”

Al Midfa noted that under the direction of His Highness Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the emirate has launched a series of diverse high-quality development projects. These include heritage and echo tourism projects and destinations that enrich the visitor and visitor experience and will be a strategic addition to support and serve all vital sectors to reshape the future of the region and further enhance Sharjah’s standing globally.

With travel restrictions significantly eased, RT-PCR testing is no longer required for vaccinated travelers, and there are multiple flight options, getting from India to Sharjah is quicker and easier.

Of the several Indian cities where passengers can fly non-stop to Sharjah, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai currently top the list in terms of tourist arrivals to the UAE.