Sharjah Tourism to Highlight Best Tourist Attractions at South Asia Travel and Tourism Show 2018

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) is all geared up for the upcoming 4^th South Asia Travel and Tourism Exchange (SATTE), South Asia’s leading travel trade show, in New Delhi, India where it will showcase the emirate’s best tourist spots, popular leisure activities, and unique culture and traditions. SATTE will take place from January 31 to February 2, 2018 at the Pragati Maidan center and is expected to draw 12,000 visitors worldwide.

This latest announcement came as SCTDA forges ahead its ongoing local, regional, and global initiatives designed to promote Sharjah as an ideal family-friendly destination. SCTDA also seeks to put the emirate on the international tourism and business maps in line with the government’s economic development plans. During the three-day SATTE event, SCTDA will focus on Sharjah’s key factors of family-friendliness as well as distinction and exclusiveness which make it one of the top places to visit among global tourists looking for adventure and a distinctive travel experience.

H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of the SCTDA, said: “India is undisputedly one of the largest key markets for the tourism and travel industry around the world. In fact, 138,000 Indian guests stayed in Sharjah hotel establishments during 2017. As the South Asian nation is one of our priority markets, this year’s SATTE is an opportunity to encourage more Indian tourists to explore Sharjah’s beauty and discover its culture.  We also hope to utilize SATTE’s popularity to enhance the emirate’s brand and profile in major markets and cities worldwide as well as achieve growth in terms of the number of international tourist arrivals in 2018 and in the coming years.”

“The Authority is keen to strengthen relations with the Indian market by organizing roadshows in Indian cities in combination with workshops and meetings with major tourism agencies, resulting  in agreements on the exchange of tourism between the two destinations”, he added.

Over the last two decades, SATTE has become the launch platform for many countries and tourism products from across the globe to conduct business in and with India. SATTE has enjoyed much acclaim in international business circles and has been working closely with the Ministry of Tourism, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), among many other leading associations. SATTE 2017 saw a historic 40 per cent increase in footfall. Now on its 25^th year, SATTE launched a campaign titled ‘I am 25’ as part of its Silver Jubilee celebration.

By taking part in this year’s event, SCTDA is confident that it will be able to broaden its reach to international visitors and embrace new partnerships. SCTDA will be leading a delegation of important tourism and travel partners, including Sheraton, Ramada Hotel, Air Arabia, Sharjah Airport Travel Agency (SATA), Al Bait Hotel, Centro Sharjah, and Golden Tulip.

Sharjah has consistently been selected as one of the UAE’s most prominent cultural hubs and a bastion of civilization by regional and international institutions. The emirate has also been named The Culture Capital of the Arab World (UNESCO); Islamic Culture Capital 2014; the Capital of Arab Tourism; and the Capital of the Arab Press. These achievements have strengthened its presence in the regional and global tourism industries.