Despite challenging economic conditions, Sharjah recorded a 64 per cent increase in hotel occupancy levels and 14 per cent growth in the total number of hotel rooms in the first half of this year, according to the latest statistics revealed by the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA).

The total number of guests in the emirate's hotels and hotel apartments at touched 671,662, said SCTDA yesterday.

It added that the total number of hotels and hotel apartments in Sharjah went up by seven per cent in the first six months of 2009 to 109 (41 hotels and 68 hotel apartments), compared to 102 - 37 hotels and 65 hotel apartments - during the same period last year.

Mohamed A Al Noman, the SCTDA's Director-General, said: "SCTDA is working with a clear strategy to develop Sharjah's tourism sector by targeting international markets and organising events and activities that promote the emirate, such as tourism fairs, trade fairs and promotional tours. These statistics reflect the changes that are occurring in Sharjah's tourism sector."

Meanwhile, the increase in the number of hotels and hotel apartments raised the number of available rooms to 8,523, a marking a 14 per cent increase from the 7,486 rooms recorded in the corresponding period a year earlier, with the number of hotel rooms increasing from 3,913 to 4,275 and the number of hotel apartment rooms increasing from 3,573 to 4,248, said SCTDA.

The tourism authority further said that European tourists accounted for 32 per cent of all tourists visiting the emirate in the first half of 2009, while GCC tourists accounted for 28 per cent, followed by tourists from other Arab countries at 14 per cent.

Asian tourists, meanwhile, made up 20 per cent of total visitors, while American, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, African and Pacific tourists made up the remaining six per cent, said SCTDA.

"We intensified our efforts in targeting the local, regional and international tourism markets in order to address the needs of the emirate's fast-changing tourism sector in the first half of the year. We will continue our endeavours to cope with the latest developments and to further promote Sharjah," said Al Noman.