Sharjah road shows in Kuwait to woo tourists

After successfully showcasing itself at the Riyadh Travel Fair last week, Sharjah is all set to hit the road in two of the most important Gulf states, Kuwait and Qatar. The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) is to hold road shows in Kuwait City and Doha on May 27 and 28 (Sunday and Monday) as part of its efforts to promote the emirate's tourist attractions and popular cultural and heritage festivals across the region. The SCTDA and Air Arabia have come together once again to hold these road shows in Kuwait (Sunday, May 27) and Qatar (Sunday, May 28) to showcase the emirate's fast growing tourism market before select gatherings of travel and tour operators and representatives of hospitality sector, attracting more Gulf visitors to the emirate known for its cultural offerings and festivals targeting families. The SCTDA Chairman, HE Mohamed Ali Al Noman, said that the GCC road shows have over the years have helped the emirate in reaching out to the fast growing regional tourism market and are part of the strategy to stimulate regional tourism and strengthen cooperation with the Gulf neighbours. "The Gulf is our biggest market after Europe and the emirate receives hundreds of thousands of visitors from the neighbouring GCC states. We received an estimated 381,625 GCC tourists last year," said Al Noman underscoring the importance of tapping the regional tourism market. He praised the growing role of Air Arabia in attracting visitors from across the Gulf region to Sharjah. The low-cost popular airline is the first of its kind and now operates an extensive network of 120 flights a week connecting UAE to the GCC states. As part of the GCC road shows, workshops and presentations on Sharjah's tourist attractions and events will be held before gatherings of around 150 representatives of the tourism industry, hospitality sector and airlines are attending the road shows in Doha and Kuwait City. While the SCTDA hosts the Sharjah Water Festival, F1 Powerboat Championship or Sharjah Grand Prix and Sharjah Light Festival etc, there are a number of art and cultural festivals, fairs and events that are hosted by various departments and agencies of the Sharjah government all through the year across the emirate. The Sharjah International Book Fair, Sharjah Heritage Days, Sharjah Biennial and Ramadaniat Al Qasba etc., are some of the key events hosted by the emirate. These world-class events and festivals have played a crucial role in putting Sharjah on the world tourism map, turning it into one of the most exciting and tourism friendly cities in the world, said Al Noman. Air Arabia, Al Hamra Hotel, Hotel Holiday International, Ramdada Sharjah and SATA are taking part in the SCTDA road shows in the Gulf emirates.