HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Director General, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority has said that the Authority is keen to upgrade and develop all its services in keeping with the directives of the Sharjah Government and UAE Government on the optimum utilisation of smart e-governance services and information in the Emirate. In this respect, he said, the SCTDA is working on a number of pilot projects in the field of information technology to develop and improve customer service solutions to effectively promote Sharjah and its tourism sector .

This came in Al Midfa’s remarks at the launch of the first Interactive Map of Sharjah by the Authority on the Web and as an application on smart phones offering residents and visitors a smart, convenient and interactive way to visit and know Sharjah. The interactive map www.sharjahtourism.ae/map highlights all the major tourist attractions, historical sites and business centres across all its major cities--Sharjah, Khorfakkan, Kalba and Dibba Al Hisn. The landmarks in these cities have been classified into various categories--cultural, tourism, and recreational etc.

Al Midfa said the new Sharjah Interactive Map is part of the Authority’s policy and efforts to enforce and boost smart, e-governance solutions in all areas and activities of the tourism sector in the Emirate. A new, smart Sharjah Tourism portal, Sharjah Interactive Touchscreens, Discover Sharjah, Sharjah Tourism Mobile app, Sharjah hotel statistic system and Sharjah event ticketing system are part of these new initiatives.

Al Midfa said that the Sharjah Interactive Map would help residents and visitors to the Emirate know and understand Sharjah like never before including all its landmarks, locations and institutions.

The use of the latest technology such as smart phones and smart electronic devices both in Arabic and English, with the possibility of involvement of private institutions and companies to include specific information in their application for a small fee will make a huge difference, he said. There are plans to include all government and private institutions in the Emirate in the Sharjah Interactive Map.

It is worth noting that the SCTDA showcased many of its smart e-governance services at the recent GITEX, the annual technology trade fair held in Dubai, for the benefit of visitors. A number of other services are in the pipeline and will be launched later during the new year .

The Authority launched the Sharjah Hotel Statistics System last which helps all hotel establishments in the Emirate to record and maintain customer statistics. This helps the Authority monitor the industry and quickly process, analyse and release tourism statistics and data from time to time.