Already seeing strong growth in tourist arrivals from China and India, Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) is now setting its sights on expansion into new Asian markets like Malaysia and Indonesia as it looks to attract 10 million international tourists by 2021.
Speaking to TTG Asia at the Arabian Travel Market 2018, SCTDA chairman Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, said: “We are looking at ways to reach out to Malaysians and Indonesians from where at present we are attracting a small number of tourist arrivals. There is a lot of potential that these two markets offer, considering their sizeable Muslim populations. We will promote Sharjah by showcasing our rich Islamic culture in Malaysia and Indonesia.”
SCTDA is currently gathering market intelligence on Malaysia and Indonesia in its development of a promotion and marketing strategy targeting these two markets. It is also shortlisting major outbound travel agencies in both countries to work with to boost tourist arrivals.
Welcoming the NTO’s pitch for new markets, Jamal Abdulnazar, CEO of Sharjah-based Cozmo Travel, said: “There is a lot of infrastructure development going on in Sharjah for the purpose of tourism development. Markets like Dubai are already seeing a growth in tourist groups coming from Indonesia, so there is a good opportunity for Sharjah also to attract these travellers.”
Meanwhile, key Asian source markets, India and China, posted strong growth last year. In 2017, the emirate recorded 138,000 and 126,000 hotel guests from India and China, marking growths of 32 per cent and 54 per cent respectively from the previous year.
“Tourists from both India and China are looking for experiential travel. They are being drawn to our tradition and heritage. We expect the numbers from both these markets will continue to grow strongly this year as well,” said Al Midfa.
UNESCO has designated about half of Satun province as Thailand’s first Global Geopark for its renowned natural beauty and geological significance.
Satun UNESCO Global Geopark is located in the Satun province of southern Thailand, comprising four districts (Thungwa, La-ngu, Manang, and part of Mueang Satun) including two national parks and one wildlife sanctuary. Altitudes reach up to 732m, with mountains and foothills characterising the eastern and northern areas, while beaches and coastal islands dominate the Andaman Sea part of the Geopark.
The UNESCO website describes the Satun Geopark area as “a peaceful place with renowned natural beauty”, renowned for its abundance and high diversity of fossil species as well as for the oldest succession of fossils.
Prasat Hin Panyod, characterised by a spectacular pinnacle karst landscape, including a stunning sea cave and hidden lagoon that can be visited by kayak, is singled out as the most important geosite.
Yuthasak Supasorn, Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governer, said in a statement: “UNESCO designation is a great honour that can only help ensure sustainable tourism growth, which the TAT feels is definitely something worth supporting and celebrating.”
In total, the UNESCO executive board in Paris endorsed 13 new sites worldwide as new UNESCO Global Geoparks, eight of which are in Asia including Cao Bang (Vietnam), Izu Peninsula (Japan) and Rinjani Lombok (Indonesia).
The full list can be found here.