The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has hosted a special meeting with representatives of hotel industry, malls and commercial establishments in the emirate to brief them on the authority’s plans and agenda for 2014, especially its major promotional campaigns and participation in key international tourism exhibitions and road shows around the world.

Khalid Jasim Al-Midfa, director general, SCTDA, said the interaction was a new step in the process of cooperation between the authority and tourism industry partners.

It underscores the authority’s keenness to boost communication and cooperation with the hotel industry in the emirate in order to reinvigorate the growing tourism sector in the emirate that has been attracting more than 1.7 million tourists a year and witnessing stable growth.

In the first nine months of 2013, the emirate recorded a 10 percent increase in tourist arrivals in comparison to the same period in the previous year, he emphasized.

Stressing the authority’s keenness to develop the competencies of tourism and hospitality sector partners through various activities, especially through participation in major international exhibitions and trade forums, Al-Midfa said the presence in international forums like ITB Berlin and WTM London helped showcase and effectively promote Sharjah’s diverse tourism experience in major cities and capitals of the world.

“It presents us with opportunities to join hands with global tourism and hospitality sector players, and attract more international tourists boosting occupancy rates in the emirate’s hotel industry,” he added.

Al-Midfa expressed his satisfaction that Sharjah has had a very successful 2013 and stressed that this success was achieved in cooperation with partners in the tourism and hotel industry.

Besides, in its efforts to showcase the tourism sector opportunities at local and global level, Sharjah earned itself a number of international laurels and awards through its participation in major international forums and exhibitions.