Sharjah's hospitality sector revenue worth US$101m

Sharjah’s hospitality sector revenue increased by 7.8% during the first half of 2017 compared with the previous year, with its value reaching AED 372 million (US $101.23m), the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) revealed.

SCTDA reported a 70% occupancy rate from January to June this year. The total number of guests for the first half of the year reached 885,000, representing a 3.5% increase versus the same period in 2016.

Saudi nationals occupied many of the local hotels’ lists of top guests. During the first two quarters of the year alone, hotels welcomed at least 72,000 Saudi travellers. 

SCTDA chairman HE Khalid Jasim Al Midfa said in a statement: "Our ultimate goal is to draw 10 million visitors a year by 2021."

According to Al Midfa, part of the strategic plan for this year is to sustain the high tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia, and SCTDA has set into motion a number of road shows covering major cities in the KSA.