The Sharjah Chamber and the Hotel Sector Working Group are discussing organizing a promotional campaign for domestic tourism

Sharjah, April 15 / WAM / Yesterday, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry held an expanded meeting at its headquarters with the representative committee of the hotel sector working group operating under the umbrella of the Chamber, which plays the role of a strategic link between hotel and tourism establishments and the relevant government agencies.

The meeting discussed organizing a joint promotional campaign for domestic tourism, which is witnessing increasing activity, as part of the Chamber’s ongoing efforts to provide a competitive and stimulating business environment for growth that keeps pace with the strategic directions of the Emirate of Sharjah in diversifying sources of income and enhancing its position as a leading tourist and cultural destination at the regional and international levels.

The meeting was attended by Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General of the Sharjah Chamber for Communication and Business Sector, along with a number of Chamber officials, general managers and executives of major hotel establishments in the emirate.

Abdulaziz Al Shamsi stressed that the Sharjah Chamber attaches strategic importance to the hospitality and hotels sector as it is one of the sectors with a multiplier effect on the local economy due to the positive effects of hotel establishments’ achievements in increasing occupancy rates and revenue growth and their ability to revitalize the entire economic cycle in the emirate through its direct connection to the transportation, retail, entertainment and restaurant sectors.

He pointed out that the hotel sector working group represents the sector before the Chamber’s Board of Directors and relevant government agencies and works according to an integrated agenda that includes monitoring and analyzing the reality of the market, studying draft laws and legislation regulating the sector, and submitting recommendations and proposals regarding them, in addition to coordinating joint promotional offers during the tourist seasons and major festivals organized by the emirate.

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce confirmed that it will work to submit the group’s proposals to the relevant service authorities to obtain more facilities, explaining that enhancing the competitiveness of hotel establishments requires a combination of reducing operational burdens, stimulating tourism demand, and creating a flexible and supportive regulatory environment that allows operators to adapt their business models and motivates them to expand.

Officials of the hospitality sector in Sharjah explained during the meeting that the sector has real competitive elements represented in the unique cultural and heritage diversity that characterizes the emirate, the advanced tourism infrastructure and the strategic geographical location, noting that the current stage requires more concerted efforts between the government and private sectors to transform these elements into tangible results at the level of occupancy rates and revenues.

The meeting discussed a number of other development proposals, including preparing a comprehensive inventory of hotel facilities that were affected by the recent wave of heavy rain, in preparation for assessing the damage and coordinating with the concerned authorities regarding treatment mechanisms and enhancing the readiness of the infrastructure surrounding the hotel facilities to face exceptional climatic conditions.

The members of the group praised the role played by the Sharjah Chamber in cooperation with the relevant government agencies in supporting the hospitality and tourism sector, and appreciated the Chamber’s keenness to hold periodic meetings that proved effective in raising recommendations and studying legislation regulating the sector with the Chamber’s Board of Directors and concerned authorities, which reflects a mature institutional model for partnership between the public and private sectors.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related