The number of Chinese travelers to Sharjah has seen a dramatic increase in recent years in tune with the growing phenomenon of Chinese visitors flocking to exotic destinations around the world. The number of Chinese visitors to Sharjah has jumped from 8,231 in 2009 to around 30,000 last year, over a period of three years whereas the emirate recorded a 5 per cent increase in the Chinese tourists last year.

The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority hopes to exploit and expand this promising market further in months and years to come as it heads to the Beijing International Tourism Expo, being held in the Chinese capital from June 15 to 17.

“Our objective is to make the most of the growing Chinese and Asian interest in Sharjah and to benefit from the immense potential the fast burgeoning Chinese and Asian tourism market,” said SCTDA Chairman HE Mohamed Ali Al Noman. He pointed out that with 20 million tourists a year, a figure that is projected to cross 100 million by 2020, today China is easily the biggest tourism market in the world. “We need to tap into this massive market,” he added.

The SCTDA is leading a delegation of high fliers from the emirate’s travel and tourism industry and government agencies to BITE for the seventh consecutive year as part of the Authority’s strategy and efforts to enhance Sharjah’s profile on global tourism map and attract more visitors from Asia and China.

Al Noman said that in recent years Sharjah has seen a surge in Asian and Chinese tourist interest in the emirate.

Al Noman said: “Our participation in BITE is in line with our commercial and tourism marketing strategy and is aimed at keeping ourselves abreast of the new trends, ideas and opportunities in the global tourism bazaar. In the past few years, Sharjah’s tourism industry has witnessed rapid growth in infrastructure and service sectors. This in turn encourages and drives new investment opportunities in the tourism industry in the emirate."

The SCTDA is looking to use its presence at BITE as a focal point to attract more Asian and Chinese tourists to Sharjah. The Authority will showcase the cultural capital of the Arab and Islamic world at the Beijing exhibition from a uniquely designed stand, which received the Best Exhibitor Award last year for its design excellence. The SCTDA launched its Chinese website last year to cater to this growing tourism market.

The Sharjah delegation, led by the SCTDA, will include Shurooq (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority), Sharjah Museums Department, Coral Beach Resort Sharjah, Hotel Holiday International, Golden Tulip Sharjah, Sharjah Grand Hotel and Fairmont Holidays.

Established in 2004, the Beijing expo has emerged as one of the major international tourism and travel exhibitions and networking events of the industry, bringing the best and brightest from the East and West together in the Chinese capital.