The Representative Committee for the Hotel Apartments sector, working under the umbrella of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), discussed its 2017 Action Plan. The innovation-driven plan aims at developing this vital sector and consolidating the global position and reputation of the emirate as a world-class business and tourism destination.

The committee held its fourth regular meeting at SCCI’s headquarters in the presence of Khalid bin Kuwayer, Chairman of the Representative Committee; Lubna Al Khayal, Head of Research and Studies Department at SCCI; and Amjad Awad Al Karim, Head of the Working Groups at SCCI, as well as committee members. SCCI reviewed the results of a field study it had conducted based on the committee’s recommendations to gain more insight into the current developments in Sharjah’s Hotel Apartments sector, its investment opportunities and the challenges businessmen face in this regard.

HE Khalid bin Butti Al Hajri, Director General of SCCI, emphasized that SCCI has always been keen on supporting the Hotel Apartments sector being a key pillar for tourism and one of the main drivers of the emirate’s economy. HE also pointed out that the Representative Committee is a SCCI work group that plays a major role in developing Sharjah’s tourism sector.

Chairman of the Representative Committee stated that the 2017 Action Plan would consider the study’s results and recommendations to meet the expectations of hotel apartment owners to overcome the challenges they face and encourage businessmen to invest more in this sector.

Providing a comprehensive analysis of the study’s results, Lubna Al Khayal said: “The study surveyed the hotel and hospitality establishments in Sharjah and the results support the Hotel Apartments sectors’ promotional efforts, strengthens partnerships and cooperation with Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority and underlines the importance of organizing educational and familiarization workshops and training courses for the sector’s workers in cooperation with the related authorities as part of exchanging knowledge, expertise and best practices.”

Hotel apartment owners who participated in the study asked SCCI, being the official representative of Sharjah’s business sector, to continue its efforts aiming to overcome the challenges they face as it contributes to boosting the sector’s performance and services, which will have a positive impact on Sharjah’s economy. The hotel apartments’ owners expressed their wish that SCCI organize promotional campaigns with special focus on promising markets in the GCC, Asia, Europe and the Commonwealth Independent States.

Owners also reiterated the importance of participating in specialized travel and tourism exhibitions as they are directly related to the Hotel Apartments sector, whether inside or outside the UAE in countries such as Russia, Germany, Turkey, China and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This also includes the food industry trade shows.

Furthermore, the study conveyed hotel apartment owners’ call to adopt a bundle of innovative practices in the emirate like boosting support and promotional efforts for the tourism sector by launching a dedicated hotline, developing a collection of attractive summer events, increasing companies’ social responsibility activities and offering new facilities for exhibitions.

Others called for activating the use of all mass media forms, and publishing brochures that reflect the emirate’s tourism offering. They also called for gaining insight into the sector’s best practices and similar experiences, reviewing and participating in global hospitality events, and implementing them in Sharjah. They also stressed on the importance of highlighting the emirate’s culture and identity, in addition to inviting the Hotel Apartments sector to take part in local, regional and international exhibitions. These events must be held in cooperation with Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority.