'Sharjah has vital role in growth'

The UAE has one of the world's most successful models in the tourism sector and Sharjah has always been committed to making a significant contribution to its growth, said Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tour-ism Development Authority (SCTDA).

"The UAE is capable of countering the impact of the current global economic crisis," he said. "The impact on Sharjah's tourism sector since the beginning of the year has been slight, as evidenced by the SCTDA's statistical report issued at the end of January, proving the resilience of the emirate's tourism sector," he said in statements on the sidelines of the SCTDA's participation in the International Tourism Bourse (ITB), being held in Berlin from March 11 to 15.

He said the declining demand for Sharjah's hotels is normal, and SCTDA is doing its best to stimulate the hospitality sector in order to achieve the expected growth this year. "This year has seen a decline in the emirate's hotel rates as a result of the global crisis. This is normal, as there was an urgent need to correct the unreasonable 50 to 200 per cent increase in hotel rates seen in the past three years. The SCTDA promotional strategy for 2009 includes a number of necessary tools to support the tourism sector," he said.

Speaking about the public sector projects being developed in the emirate, Al Qassimi said that the SCTDA is working under the prudent directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah.