Tourism & Culture
From The Report: Sharjah 2021
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Sharjah’s beaches, shopping centres, museums and unique cultural offering make the emirate a popular tourist destination for nationals and foreigners alike. While international travel slowed significantly in 2020 due to border closures and travel restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic tourism in Sharjah picked up as UAE residents explored destinations closer to home. Despite the disruption, the emirate inaugurated a number of projects in 2020, many of which promote sustainable tourism and position Sharjah as a family-friendly destination. Tourism authorities intend to build on this momentum and renew international interest throughout 2021 with the help of a new travel campaign, additional development projects, and the resumption of events and activities under strict health and safety protocols. These efforts, in tandem with the UAE’s rapid rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, could see the tourism sector recover sooner than expected: Sharjah aims to attract 10m visitors in 2022.

This chapter contains interviews with Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Development Authority; Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director, Sharjah Art Foundation; and Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson, Environment and Protected Areas Authority.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Return visit: Tourism is expected to rebound strongly thanks to new offerings and stringent health practices
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Sharjah’s beaches, shopping centres, museums and unique cultural offerings make the emirate a popular tourist destination for nationals and foreigners alike. While international travel slowed significantly in 2020 due to border closures and travel restrictions in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic tourism in Sharjah picked up as UAE residents explored destinations closer to home. Despite the disruption, the emirate inaugurated a number of projects in 2020, many of which promote cultural…

Analysis

Alternative approaches: The pandemic has accelerated the growth of new models such as staycations and sustainable tourism
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Various governments in the region are looking to new, alternative tourism models to drive their pandemic recoveries, with an emphasis on ecological options and “staycations”. Both in order to reboot its tourism industry and as part of its drive to diversify the economy away from hydrocarbons, Saudi Arabia is developing several major ecological tourism projects. In April 2021 the Red Sea Development Company announced that it had raised $3.8bn for the Red Sea Project through the first ever riyal-denominated…

Interview

The long view: Khalid Jassim Al Midfa, Chairman, Sharjah Tourism and Commerce Development Authority (STCDA), on investment and opportunities for long-term tourism growth
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Interview:Khalid Jassim Al Midfa Which investments in Sharjah’s tourism sector are expected to drive growth? KHALID JASSIM AL MIDFA: Investments in connectivity and infrastructure are invaluable to driving growth, so Sharjah has undertaken several large-scale projects to add value and promote local tourism, starting with the Dh1.5bn ($408.3m) expansion of Sharjah International Airport to increase annual capacity to 20m passengers by 2027. Completion of the Dh5.5bn ($1.5bn) Sharjah-Khorfakkan…

Analysis

Setting the agenda: A mainstay of the global tourism sector faced disruption, but also innovation, due to the Covid-19 pandemic
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Amid international travel restrictions, social-distancing protocols and prohibitions on mass gatherings in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the world’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) segment has been forced to adapt, with some events shifting online and others being deferred. Before the outbreak of the virus, MICE presented a promising growth avenue for emerging markets to diversify their tourism offerings. For example, Sharjah has set a 10m visitor target for 2022 and…

Interview

Nurturing creativity: Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi, President and Director, Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF), on the emirate’s position as a unique regional and global centre for arts and culture
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Interview:Sheikha Hoor Al Qasimi How has SAF evolved over the years, and in what ways can it help Sharjah’s burgeoning art scene serve as a catalyst for tourism? SHEIKHA HOOR AL QASIMI: We have always focused on providing programming and events that cater to local and regional audiences. Our goal was to create a platform that enables South-South exchange. In the past many organisations have relied on Western institutions to determine their future, so it was important to create spaces that…

Analysis

Healthy travels: Leading medical tourism destinations are positioning themselves for an anticipated rebound in activity post-pandemic
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Prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, medical and wellness tourism was a significant growth industry in many emerging economies. The last decade saw a boom in medical tourism: by 2018 the global market was generating $58.6bn annually, and in 2019 it was forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.7% to reach more than $142.2bn by 2026. While the pandemic represents a major setback for the segment, there are signs that it may be recovering in several markets. Major Markets The growth of…

Interview

Natural treasure: Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson, Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), on the importance of environmental awareness and conservation
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Interview:Hana Saif Al Suwaidi How can technology and public awareness be leveraged to safeguard natural habitats? HANA SAIF AL SUWAIDI: Sharjah is well equipped to preserve its biodiversity, particularly its protected areas. We have turned to innovation and the emirate’s numerous research centres to help meet our goals. For example, we have used drones to monitor and survey protected areas, some of which cover large expanses and difficult terrain. In the same vein, satellite imagery and…