Sharjah’s beach hotels attract 180,000 tourists in first half of the year

SHARJAH- Hotels and beach resorts across Sharjah have been witnessing a heavy turnout of international tourists and visitors, from amateur water sports and leisure enthusiasts to families seeking rest and relaxation on the shores of the picturesque emirate offering views of both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

High-end luxury hotels and resorts offering top-notch, world-class services are conveniently located along the coast and across the emirate.

HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Director General, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority said the heavy turnout at beach hotels and resorts in the emirate has exceeded expectations.  According to the SCTDA statistics, guests at these special beach hotel facilities had swelled to more than 180,000 during the first half of this year registering 80% occupancy rates.

Al Midfa said that numerous cultural, artistic, entertainment and shopping festivals hosted by Sharjah, not to mention special promotions offered by major malls and shopping centers since the beginning of the year, have added to the emirate’s attractions in the eyes of visitors.  He drew attention to the fact that hotels in the emirate had been encouraged by the Authority to offer special concessional rates to both visitors and residents.

Referring to the growing popularity of beach tourism, Al Midfa said that Sharjah is the only emirate that offers access to the coasts of both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.  He said that Sharjah is keen to build more world-class hotel facilities and tourist facilities with the highest standards of safety and best of leisure, water sports and recreational activities, putting the emirate among the top beach tourism destinations in the region.

The Europeans formed the largest segment of Sharjah’s tourists who stayed at the beach hotels during the first half of this year. They were followed by GCC tourists.

Sharjah is an ideal beach tourism destination both for the country’s residents and international tourists who head to the Emirate especially during the summer season and prefer to spend their holidays in hotels.

With the emirate hosting several special events and activities during the long summer months, there are expectations of a further increase in the number of tourists this holiday season.