Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in France
3, Rue de Lota, 75116 Paris, France
Tel: + 33 1 443 40200;
Fax: + 33 1 475 56104
E-mail : ambassade.emirates@wanadoo.fr
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THE ECONOMY - TOURISM
Abu Dhabi double's BIT pavilion
posted on 07/02/2010
 Abu Dhabi will double the size of destination pavilion at this month's BIT tourism fair in Milan as Italy enters the emirate's top 10 markets for hotel guests.
Last year Italians accounted for 29,653 guests in the emirate's hotels - a 14.8% rise on 2008 with Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) saying potential from the country is only just being realised. "There has been significant movement in inbound business from Italy since last year's opening of ADTA offices in Milan and Rome, backed up by an increase in Etihad's flights from Malpensa International to Abu Dhabi," explained Mubarak Al Nuaimi, International Promotions Manager, ADTA. "Italy is now our ninth largest international source market", he added.
"Abu Dhabi has achieved substantial awareness within Italy and now the industry has to work to convert this into contracted business. BIT will bring us into contact with key trade buyers who will help us realise this aim and assist us towards our overall target of 1.65 million hotel guests by the end of this year", he said.
ADTA says it is also in the throes of producing marketing collateral in Italian as it prepares to receive the Italian-flagged Costa Deliziosa, the flagship liner of Costa Cruises, which is to berth in the UAE capital nine times this winter season with over 2,000 passengers onboard at each docking.
"Italians number among the bulk of the passengers and it is our opportunity to also engage with them and further spark their interest in the destination to encourage repeat visitation," added Al Nuami.
"We anticipate the opening later this year of Ferrari World Abu Dhabi - the world's largest indoor theme park which will be a tribute to Ferrari's legendary story - will ignite Italian tourists' interest in this destination. This exception project - a centrepiece of our new Yas Island entertainment hub - will be a major boost to our leisure tourism offering", he noted Abu Dhabi's BIT pavilion is being supported by a range of stakeholders including resort developers, hoteliers, Etihad Airways and tour operators. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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'Pay in Your Currency' launched in the UAE
posted on 04/02/2010
 Tourists coming to the UAE will be able to make payments in their own currencies at the point of sale under the ‘Pay in Your Currency' service that has been introduced, a top official of the service provider told Gulf News.
Planet Payment and Network International, the largest provider of payment solutions in the Middle East and North Africa, signed an agreement to launch the ‘Pay in Your Currency' service in the UAE.
Cardholders, merchants and financial institutions will benefit from the new service and its preferential exchange rates, officials said.
Multi-currency payment
Philip Beck, Chairman and Chief Executive of Planet Payment, a leading multi-currency payment and data processor, said, "I believe that the UAE is a very progressive country and our products, ‘Pay in Your Currency', will add value to a purchase."
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council's report on the economic impact of travel and tourism, UAE visitors spent Dh83.5 billion in 2009. It is essentially spending by visitors on goods and services.
Moreover, statistics released by Dubai Airport show that passenger traffic grew 9.2 per cent in 2009 to 40.9 million.
Network International said it intends to offer this service to every merchant.
It caters to cardholders or customers from outside the UAE.
Ram Chari, CEO of Network International, said: "Any retailer, hotel, travel agency, health care provider or educational institute, who is already accepting cards as a means of payment or is interested in [the] card, can apply for this service."Our service is already being communicated directly to merchants and the response has been overwhelming."
Beck said: "This service is a powerful tool to improve sales, customer satisfaction and profit." Primarily price comparison is the benefit of this product for cardholders, he added."If the consumer understands how much the product costs in their currency, they might buy more and they can determine how much they want to spend.
"The adoption of the Pay in Your Currency service has increased dramatically over recent years as more than six million consumers in 2009 in 30 banks and ten countries are using this product," he added.
Moreover, Beck said that with an approximately 3 per cent fee is a better value for money for financial institutions.
"This service is also very useful in terms of merchant's revenue growth. And having a new product that is in demand by merchants will make it easier for financial institutions to win and retain business."
On the investment by Network International, Chari said: "Network has invested quite a bit in both technology and people to bring this service into the region."
How it works
Operationally, it is just one additional step for the merchant who accepts cards as a means of payment. When a card is swiped, the system will recognise whether the card has been issued outside the UAE and will offer the option of paying in the home currency of cardholder. The merchant will indicate this option to the cardholder, who will have the choice of paying in his own currency or in UAE dirhams. Based on the response of the cardholder or customer, the merchant will complete the transaction. – Gulf News
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Sharjah reports 9% increase in tourist numbers for second half of 2009
posted on 02/02/2010
 The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has released detailed statistics on the performance of Sharjah's tourism sector for the second half of 2009. According to the statistics, the number of visitors to Sharjah picked up by 9% during this period, which balanced out the 15% decline experienced in the first half of the year due to the effects of the financial crisis on the global tourism sector.
During 2009, the number of hotels and hotel apartments in the emirate of Sharjah increased by 7% to 110 (41 hotels and 69 hotel apartments), as compared to 103 (37 hotels and 66 hotel apartments) in 2008. Accordingly, the total number of available rooms rose to 8,727 in 2009 (4,275 hotel rooms and 4,452 hotel apartment rooms), a 14% increase from the 7,647 rooms (3,896 hotel rooms and 3,751 hotel apartment rooms) that were available in 2008 Despite the global financial crisis and its impact on the world's tourism sector in 2009, Sharjah's hotel occupancy rate suffered a mere 11% decline from 80% in 2008 to 69% in 2009, taking into account the dramatic 14% increase in the number of additional rooms made available throughout 2009. The hotel occupancy rate in Sharjah was 74% in 2009, only marginally lower than the 86% occupancy rate recorded in 2008, while the occupancy in hotel apartments was 64% in 2009 and 72% in 2008.
Figures show that the total number of occupied room nights in Sharjah's hotel establishments dropped by only 3% in 2009 to 1,462,165 - down from 1,504,859 nights in 2008, with hotel room nights accounting for 790,900 of the 2009 total (down from 882,599 in 2008) and hotel apartment room nights accounting for the remaining 671,265 room nights (up from 622,260 in 2008).
The total number of guests staying in the emirate's hotels and hotel apartments was down to 1,447,934 in 2009, a 6% decline compared to the 1,535,234 guests reported in 2008. This included 748,677 guests staying in hotels (down from 824,135 in 2008), and 699,257 guests staying in hotel apartments (down from 711,099 in 2008).
According to the SCTDA's statistics, the 608,281 European tourists accounted for 42 per cent of total tourist arrivals to the emirate in 2009, while GCC tourists accounted for 23% (327,916), tourists from other Arab countries for 11%, and tourists from Asian countries for 15% (218,515), with the remaining 9% was made up of 6% African tourists (88,596), 2% tourists from the US (28,774) and 1% tourists from the Pacific region (19,242).
Commenting on the SCTDA's report, H.E. Mohamed A. Al Noman, SCTDA Director General, stressed that Sharjah's leading position on the global tourism map can be seen from the minor decline witnessed in the emirate's tourism performance in 2009 compared to other regions in the world. He credited this excellent performance and the increase in the number of hotels and hotel apartments to the mutual strategic planning carried out by different economic sectors within the emirate. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Fujairah project to promote eco-tourism
posted on 31/01/2010
 There are plans to promote eco-tourism in Fujairah's protected Wadi Wurayah and a management board called Wadi Wurayah Majlis is being set up to examine and supervise the developments in the area.
Four years ago, the Emirates Wildlife Society-World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF) and the Fujairah Municipality initiated the Wadi Wurayah project to establish a sustainable protected area integrating local tradition and lifestyle with the conservation of biodiversity and habitat by providing a model of unique economic incentives to the region.
The main goal was to assist the Fujairah Municipality and the Government of Fujairah to create and manage a mountain protected area.
Then in March 2009, Wadi Wurayah in Fujairah was established as the first protected mountain area of the country, in order to protect fresh water springs, pools and streams that provide its unique wildlife with a renewable and safe drinking resource. Now they are taking things forward.
Christophe Tourenq, Science and Research Manager, EWS-WWF, told Emirates Business:
"The current developments in Wadi Wurayah are mostly to put in place the adequate management structure to ensure active protection of the natural and cultural resources of the area and deliver a unique model of how environment conservation can be economically viable, which would be a first in the UAE.
"The current zoning of the protected area includes an 'eco-tourism zone' that will be devoted to access to public, camping and picnicking. It will also include recreational activities integrated in the protected area environment. This means that it will not cause disturbance, destruction and overexploitation of natural and cultural resources of the Wadi Wurayah Protected Area and provide benefits to local communities.
"There will also be establishment and operation of eco-tourism and education facilities (visitor centre, rangers offices) that will not be detrimental to the special or unique values of the area.
"For this reason there will be limited development integrated in the environment (sustainable and using local architecture), that will not cause disturbance, destruction and overexploitation of natural and cultural resources of the protected area and that will provide benefits to local communities.
"Wadi Wurayah Protected Area will have structures built with local materials that are integrated with the environment and a testimony to the unique skills and techniques of the region. Some examples of such architecture can be seen in Wadi Helio in Sharjah and in Musandam, Oman."
Since December 29, 2007, the UAE has been included in the Ramsar convention, which is an inter-governmental treaty that provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
The Fujairah Municipality has submitted Wadi Wurayah as the second Ramsar site of UAE after Ras al Khor in Dubai. The listing of Wadi Wurayah as UAE Ramsar site will elevate it to a higher status (recognised as a place of international importance) and will bring more attention to it. Till that happens, the phase two of the protection project will ensure that the ecological character of the site will be maintained. – Emirates Business 24|7
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New Port Rashid terminal set to boost Dubai cruise tourism
posted on 30/01/2010
The city's new cruise terminal in Port Rashid is set to open in the coming month, meaning the project is well on schedule.
Talking to 'Gulf News' in an interview on January 18, Hamad Bin Mejren, executive director of business tourism at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said the new terminal will give "a big boost to the cruise tourism segment" and will "create awareness for Dubai as one of the best cruise destinations in the region".
Though a definite launch date has still not been set, the opening could possibly coincide with the naming of the new cruise ship Costa Deliziosa by Costa Cruises on February 23.
The ship will be sailing around the Gulf from March and is expected to increase the number of cruise tourists visiting Dubai by 40 per cent, according to Costa Cruises. "We hope that the opening of the terminal can take place on that occasion, but I cannot confirm," Bin Mejren said.
The cruise terminal is already used by three major cruise companies, Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
"In the near future, we expect other important cruise operators using the new terminal," Bin Mejren said. This year, the number of cruise tourists is expected to rise to 325,000 from 250,000 in 2009.
"By 2015, we look forward to having 575,000 cruise tourists visiting Dubai," Bin Mejren said. This year, Dubai will be hosting 120 ships. By 2015, the number of ship calls is expected to rise to 195 annually.
The new terminal spans 3,450 square metres and is designed to handle four ships simultaneously and cater to the increased number of cruise ship calls.
Technically, it is run by DP World, says Lawrie Pattison, head of marketing at DP World. "We are managing the port from a marina perspective. All the cargo operations have already been moved from Port Rashid to Jebel Ali," Pattison told Gulf News.
The facade of the new terminal building is based on contemporary Arabic design. Traditional domes, arches and carvings are the major architectural elements that constitute the exterior facades.
The terminal provides a tourist support infrastructure which includes facilities like money exchange, ATMs, a post office, a duty free shop, souvenir shops, and a business centre with Wi-Fi and cable internet access as well as a VIP section.
The DTCM has set up information counters in the cruise terminal which are manned round the clock. Passengers are provided with free maps and other information about Dubai.
In addition, the terminal houses offices for representatives of government bodies such as immigration, customs and police. – Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Arabian welcome for Brilliance of the Sea
posted on 24/01/2010
 What's a 962-feet-long, 106-feet-wide beauty called ‘Brilliance of the Sea' doing in Gulf waters? Just cruising along.
The cruise liner, owned by American company Royal Caribbean is on its maiden cruise in the Gulf waters, with 3,000 passengers on board docked in at Abu Dhabi's Zayed Port on Friday, its fourth port of call.
The seven-day cruise began on January 18 in Dubai, to Muscat, Fujairah on to Abu Dhabi, after which it will sail to Bahrain before returning to Dubai. Passengers have one day at each of these ports to explore the city.
"We work with tour operators in each of these locations, so if they wish, passengers may book a guided tour, although most of them prefer to explore the port cities by themselves,” said Dennis Daughters, marketing and revenue manager of Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Sea.
On Thursday, tour operator buses, taxis and even the hop-on, hop-off,
Big Bus were lined up in front of the docked liner, next to Abu Dhabi Tourism
Authority's (ADTA) welcoming tent put up recently. "We are supporting cruise liners by offering their passengers information including that about heritage activities,” Saeed Al Dhaheri, ADTA's Visitor Information manager, told Khaleej Times.
Indeed, as passengers stepped on-shore and walked through the ADTA tent, they got an Arabian welcome by an Emirati folk group singing Bedouin songs, while plenty of brochures and maps containing information about Abu Dhabi's culture, history and tourist attractions were distributed.
"We also had about 200 four-wheel drives available for those who wished to go on a desert safari,” added Al Dhaheri. With most passengers gone for the day, 860 crew on board prepared to "turn around” the ship.
"No, not literally turn it around. It's a term we use for cleaning and preparing the ship from top to bottom for the next voyage,” explained Markus Zihlemann, in charge of the food and beverage department. With about 14 restaurants, cafes and bars, 420 people work in his department, 100 of them chefs. "We serve about 14,000 meals every day,” revealed Zihlemann. All food supplies needed for the seven-day cruise are loaded in Dubai, the port of the cruise embarkation.
So what else is on board ‘Brilliance of the Sea' apart from cafes and bars?
Well, the 962-feet-long, 106-feet-wide ship has 12 passenger decks with 1,055 rooms of various standards, spa, fitness facilities, beauty salon, solarium and swimming pool. There is also a basketball court, a nine-hole miniature golf course, a golf simulator, a rock-climbing wall and even a jogging track. It also has a library, a theatre show for entertainment, cinema, casino and several clubs. Apart from plenty of shops and boutiques, a lot of children's activities are featured.
"This is our first trip in the Gulf waters and so far, so good,” Captain Hernan Zini told Khaleej Times. "The only difference in sailing here is that there are a lot of boat traffic and oil platforms, which we must go around, and it is a little tricky to keep up the needed speed,” he said.
To reach each port in time, the ship pushes its speed to as high as 23.5
knots (about 48 kilometres per hour), while the vessel's maximum speed is
25 knots.
"This is the first time we are sailing on this route, though, and next time we will know better how it all works,”
he added.
‘Brilliance of the Sea' will continue its Gulf cruise tours until the end of the season, in April. On this occasion, 65 per cent of passengers, who come from 45 different nationalities, are British. Some are UAE or Gulf residents, but many booked the cruise from their country of residence and flew to Dubai to board the ship.
The cost for the Gulf cruise starts from US$500 per person and can go up to US$3,000 per person. Main meals and entertainment shows are included. – Khaleej Times
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UAE tourism industry on recovery track
posted on 17/01/2010
 Tourist traffic to the UAE is expected to recover this year and will gain further growth momentum in 2011 in the wake of promotional campaigns initiated by various emirates, Business Monitor International (BMI) said.
BMI, a leading global economic research and data provider, also revised its forecast of negative growth in the UAE tourism in 2009.
"Based on more favourable data than expected from Dubai, we have edged up our forecast of negative growth in tourist arrivals to the UAE as a whole from -3 per cent to -2 per cent year on year in 2009. This scenario also underscores attempts by individual emirates to boost domestic tourism,” BMI said in its latest report on the country's tourism prospects.
The report, sounding bullish about the sector's long-term prospects, said the short-term outlook for the tourism sector remained weak.
Given the "relatively modest growth” in tourist arrivals to Dubai in the first half of 2009 and "very disappointing data” on visitors to Sharjah over the same period, BMI maintains a rather poor outlook for the UAE tourism sector in the short term,” the report said.
The better than expected outturn for tourist arrivals to Dubai is partly due to promotional campaigns in key source markets such as the UK, Germany, India, Russia, China, Japan and the GCC states.
Adding further momentum to Dubai's tourism promotion drive is the emirate's efforts to lure more cruise tourists by facilitating the arrival of an increased number of bigger luxury cruise liners to its modern terminal facility that will be fully operational on January 23. The new terminal will enable bigger cruise liners to bring tourists.
"We expect to receive 120 ships and more than 325,000 passengers at the new state-of-the art terminal this year compared to 100 vessels and around 260,000 tourists in 2009,” said Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, Executive Director Business Tourism at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
In 2011, DTCM expects to receive 135 ships with 375,000 passengers followed by 150 ships with 425,000 passengers in 2012, 165 ships with 475,000 passengers in 2013 and 180 ships with 525,000 passengers in 2014 and 195 ships with 575,000 passengers in 2015.
"In Sharjah, by contrast, there was a sharp deterioration in the number of tourists staying at hotels in the first half of the year, down by 12 per cent year on year,” the report said.
Hotels in the UAE continued to struggle in November with lower occupancy rates and a 28 per cent drop in revenue per available room (revPAR), according to latest industry figures, data compiled by STR Global shows.
Occupancy rates in the country fell by nearly nine percent last month, compared to the same month in 2008, to 75.5 per cent. While revPAR plummeted by 28.3 per cent, a year-on-year 21 per cent drop in average daily rate also hit hotels, it said.
The figures revealed contrasting figures for Saudi Arabia, which showed increases in all three categories. Occupancy rates in Saudi Arabian hotels was up by more than three percent at nearly 63 percent in November, compared to a year earlier.
Overall, the Middle East region's hotel industry saw revPAR drop year-on-year by more than 16 per cent.
Reflecting the dismal trend, the number of hotel projects planned in the Middle East showed a decline of 17 per cent in the third quarter of 2009 to 460 and the number of rooms planned declined 15 per cent to 140,061, according to a report by a US-based hospitality research firm Lodging Econometrics. – Khaleej Times
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Dubai’s cruise tourism steams ahead by luring new liners
posted on 11/01/2010
 Dubai's nascent cruise industry is set to buck the global downturn with a predicted 30 per cent surge in passenger traffic in 2010 as the emirate gears up to lure increased number of bigger luxury cruise liners to its modern terminal facility.
The new Dubai Cruise Terminal, designed to handle up to four ships, is likely to become fully operational on January 23, enabling bigger cruise liners to bring tourists.
Spread over an area of 3,450 square metres, the new terminal will help Dubai reinforce its image as a destination of choice for cruise liners, said Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, Executive Director Business Tourism at the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, or DTCM.
"We expect to receive 120 ships and more than 325,000 passengers at the new state-of-the art terminal this year,” he said.
In 2009, Dubai, which is a regional base for leading operators including Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean, drew 100 vessels and around 260,000 tourists, up 37 per cent on
the previous year.
"Dubai is steaming ahead and we look forward to a period of tremendous growth in cruise tourism segment. Cruise tourists are becoming an increasingly important part of Dubai's tourism industry,” said Mejren.
Costa Cruises made Dubai its regional cruise hub in 2007, a move that helped put Dubai — strategically located at the crossroads between east and west — firmly on the global cruise map, said Mejren.
This year, the burgeoning cruise industry will get a further boost when the latest jewel of the Costa Cruises fleet — Costa Deliziosa — will be named in Dubai on February 23 during her grand maiden cruise, starting from Savona on February 5.
"The naming ceremony will further strengthen the ties between Costa Cruises, Italy's largest tourism group and Europe's number one cruise company, and the DTCM,” said Fabrizia Greppi, Costa Cruises Vice-President for Corporate
Marketing and Communications.
Despite the challenges faced by the global tourism industry, global cruise sector maintained the pace in 2009 with 14 million passengers while about 1.2 million guests chose to go cruising with Costa, a record for the European cruise industry. This year, the Italian company expects to carry 1.5 million tourists, Greppi said.
She said Costa believes in the value of Dubai as a cruise destination. "Thanks to our four-year-partnership with DTCM, we are boosting our presence in the Gulf by bringing more ships to Dubai. We expect a 40 per cent increase of our guests cruising to Dubai in 2010, with an estimated economic impact of 14 million Euros for the city,” she said onboard the luxury liner Costa Luminosa that is berthed at Dubai Cruise Terminal.
This year, Costa's three ships operating in the Gulf sector, out of a fleet of 15 ships, are expected to bring 140,000 passenger movements to Dubai thanks to the presence of three ships for a total of 32 calls, said Greppi.
Mejren said the DTCM expects to receive in 2011 135 ships with 375,000 passengers followed by 150 ships with 425,000 passengers in 2012, 165 ships with 475,000 passengers in 2013 and 180 ships with 525,000 passengers in 2014 and 195 ships with 575,000 passengers in 2015.
This month, Royal Caribbean International, or RCI will become the second major cruise line to base a ship in Dubai. The US line will be deploying Brilliance of the Seas in Dubai for seven night cruises between January and April 2010. – Khaleej Times
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Abu Dhabi's young tourism industry maturing into international destination, says Sheikh Sultan
posted on 07/01/2010
 HH Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) has said that Abu Dhabi's young tourism industry is maturing into an international destination of distinction and has a firm base to progress.
In a message in the first 2010 edition of the authority's Seyaha stakeholder magazine, Sheikh Sultan complemented the industry on the recent nomination of Abu Dhabi by Lonely Planet and Frommer's - two of the world's leading travel guides - as a top destination to visit this year.
"The industry emirate-wide looks in its best shape ever to deliver on these prestigious recommendations," he said.
"With ever expanding attractions, tour and infrastructure propositions impacting the face of tourism throughout the emirate, we begin the next 12 months with a solid base on which to move significantly ahead in our aim of developing a world-class destination of distinction." Sheikh Sultan said a signature achievement of 2009 was the heightened co-operation in destination building by all in the industry.
"Together we are proving that we are very much aligned in our goals, committed to collaborative progress and share a market confidence that is built on strong fundamentals. We have, of course, much to achieve, but the huge strides we have made underline exceptional progress for such a youthful entrant onto the world tourism stage."
Writing in the same magazine the authority's Director General, Mubarak Al Muhairi said though 2009 proved challenging for the tourism industry worldwide, Abu Dhabi's stakeholders performed "exceptionally well in a subdued economic climate." Al Muhairi reiterated the authority's commitment to building a united and impactful stakeholder programme building on the launch of its ‘Partners in Progress' scheme.
"We have got off to a great start and we intend to keep up the momentum," he said and added that future plans would focus on increased cross-segment marketing with co-operation marketing campaigns now being planned.
ADTA's Director General said the authority would also increase its investment to ensure the programme's success.
"To ensure we deliver on the promises we have made, we are increasing our teams, expanding our outreach, investing in industry training and supporting, and initiating, new world-class events and programmes which will bring new visitors to our emirate and encourage those who have been, to return," he said.
He remarked that despite continuing challenges within the international tourism sector, Abu Dhabi needed to keep up its highly focussed destination awareness campaign.
"There are green shoots of economic recovery emerging in key markets around the world which we should take great hope from and we will, in the meantime, commit to sustained, pro-active marketing so that when the inevitable upturn comes, we are front of mind for a travelling public looking for a distinct destination with service levels and a visitor experience well above par," he added. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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SCTDA releases international promotional tour itinerary for 2010
posted on 04/01/2010
 The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) has released its international promotional tour itinerary for the year 2010. The Authority's calendar is particularly full this year, with no less than 23 international exhibitions and road shows on the agenda for the New Year.
The SCTDA's participation in numerous travel exhibitions worldwide has proven to be a highly effective means of promoting Sharjah's unique attractions on a global scale, resulting in an ever-increasing number of new visitors to the emirate each year.
Speaking of the Authority's plans for the year ahead, Director General, Mohammed A. Al Noman said, "We have enjoyed tremendous success through participation in various exhibitions and travel markets around the world in the past, and we anticipate that our activities in 2010 will add to the rush of new tourists to our shores once again." "We have a particularly busy year ahead of us in terms of our promotion plans, which include several of the world's biggest tourism exhibitions, which is always very exciting. I have no doubt whatsoever that 2010 is going to be a big year for us and we are ready and dedicated to meeting its various challenges head on," he added.
The SCTDA's rigorous itinerary includes the world's 3 largest annual travel exhibitions, namely the renowned ITB Berlin in March, ATM in Dubai in May and London's WTM in November. In addition to these mammoth events, the SCTDA will also be present at MITT Moscow, TUR Gothenburg, GIBTM Abu Dhabi, the BITE Exhibition in Beijing, the Leisure Exhibition in Moscow, ITB Asia and EIBTM in Barcelona, as well as presenting a number of road shows across the GCC, CIS and Eastern European regions.
The SCTDA's promotion strategy is multi-pronged, ensuring that all aspects of Sharjah's facilities, capacities and capabilities are covered and that all of the different types of tourist markets are targeted in the appropriate manner. The EIBTM and GIBTM exhibitions, for example, are aimed directly at the MICE market, while ITB Asia and BITE are geared toward the Asian market and the road shows toward the GCC, Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and East European markets. - Emirates News Agency, WAM
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Accueil
La Revue annelle des E.A.U. 2009 dans son intégralité, en anglais, en français et en arabe, sous format pdf. Des informations détaillées et actualisées sur tous les aspects des E.A.U.
La Revue annelle des
E.A.U. 2007 dans son intégralité, en anglais et en français, sous format pdf. Des informations détaillées
et actualisées sur tous les aspects des E.A.U.
