Sharjah’s tourism experts host hospitality forum
The forum this year worked under the theme of ‘Sustainable Tourism creates Business Opportunities’
Sharjah's Hospitality Forum took place on November 18. The forum saw a number of industry experts and officials host talks, including members of the Sharjah’s ministries.
Under the theme of ‘Sustainable Tourism creates Business Opportunities’, the forum showcased a number of scenarios for enhancing the emirate’s tourism economy.
H.E. Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) hosted and opened the event. Official reports claim Midfa spoke about the importance of developing the tourism, hospitality and travel sector via innovation and sustainability.
Midfa was followed by H.E. Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Saleh, undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs. Al Salah noted how tourism has become a key aspect of the emirate’s economy. He explained that tourism is one of the UAE’s key methods to improve sustainable developments as per the goals of the United Nations.
Following this speech was a panel hosted by Dr. Yolanda Perdomo and attended by a number of officials. The panel discussed sustainable tourism as a tool for building profitable and responsible products in the industry. This was continued with a second panel exploring business perspectives of women, start-ups and young entrepreneurs.
Al Midfa previously revealed that the tourism sector in Sharjah now contributes more than 8.8% or AED 9 billion (US$2.45 billion) of the emirate’s annual GDP figure of AED 102.5 billion ($27.91 billion).
At the forum he added that: “Sharjah today has become a distinguished global tourism destination, thanks to the unlimited support of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, who has enabled us to put all the necessary resources and efforts into upgrading Sharjah's position in the world tourism landscape and strengthening its presence in various international forums. The success of this forum reflects the commitment of our partners and stakeholders from Sharjah’s public and private sectors to continue developing and improving the tourist experience. The forum also contributed to the achievement of the goal set by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) with its focus on sustainable tourism planning, which contributes to enhancing social, economic and environmental benefits for communities.”
