Sharjah forays into new markets in 2019

His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), shares some of the new markets in focus for 2019 whilst promoting the many interesting travel hotspots.

Shehara Rizly

Could you share some of the international events where Sharjah will participate in during this year?
This year, the main new exhibition we are participating in will be Matka Nordic Travel Fair to be held in Helsinki, Finland, from January 18-20, 2019. Apart from that, we have planned to participate in SATTE Delhi, ITB Berlin, MITT Moscow, Riyadh Travel Fair, ATM Dubai and WTM London in 2019.

How relevant is your participation in SATTE in January 2019? Through our participation at SATTE in Delhi this year, we aim to reach out to more international visitors and build new partnerships. The participation is of great significance as SATTE is the launch platform for many countries and tourism products from across the globe to conduct business in and with India. In addition, the event is supported by World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), among many other leading associations.

What are your expectations from SATTE 2019?
We aim to achieve further growth in terms of the number of international tourist arrivals in 2019 and beyond, whilst looking forward to capitalising on SATTE’s popularity to further build the emirate’s tourism profile and reach out to major markets and global cities.

Finland is a new market that Sharjah will focus on. Could you share its importance please?
The participation at Matka Finland will add great value to our efforts in promoting Sharjah as an ideal destination before a global audience as the biggest travel industry event in Northern Europe and the Baltic region. We are confident that our products and offerings will woo Finnish tourists and encourage them to come and explore our tourism sector’s offerings.

As debut participants, what are your expectations from MATKA?
SCTDA’s participation at MATKA Finland is a valuable opportunity to meet and establish connections with travel trade professionals around the world, and to learn about innovative tourism products and services offered by other global tourism destinations.