The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) said hotel occupancy reached 671,662 guests during the first six months of the year.   During the first quarter of 2009 there was a 15% decline in the number of tourists, but once source explained “the recent summer promotions have helped the hotel sector to record higher occupancy.  As a result, the second-quarter hotel statistics reflected a growth that helped narrow the decline to 12 per cent.”

Figures show that more than half of the 671,662 visitors stayed in hotels and the rest stayed in serviced apartments.  GCC tourists accounted for 28% of the tourists, other Arab countries for 14%, Asian tourists 20%, and 32% of the tourists were from Europe.    The remaining 6% of the visitors came from America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and the Pacific.