Sharjah goes after Muslim tourists from Malaysia and Indonesia

24 Apr 2018 2048 | World Travel News

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 ATM 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.”

Number of Malaysian and Indonesian visitors to Sharjah still small despite the countries’ large Muslim populations

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.