VISIT UAE Fujairah
FUJAIRAH: Confidently Progressing SITUATED ON THE INDIAN OCEAN AND FEATURING A MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, FUJAIRAH ASSERTS A RICH ARAB CULTURE AND A WEALTH OF NATURE, HAVING ENJOYED RAPID DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TOURISM SECTOR OVER ITS LAST FEW YEARS.
Dominique Christou writes
A
lthough having witnessed a general downfall due to the competition from its surrounding emirates, Fujairah’s tourism performance so far this year appears promising. Janet Fitzner, general manager, Radisson Blu Resort Fujairah, indicated that this year’s performance has seen a drop mainly from the German market due to fierce competition from Ras Al
Khaimah, as well as Ukraine’s political instability. She noted, however, that the Russian tourists have been stable within the year and compared to 2013, even though it was a challenging year for the Russian market. Much alike, with Russians keeping loyal guests to the emirate, Vanessa Chinopoulou, assistant director, marketing, Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, commented, “Our main target markets are holiday makers from the CIS market, mainly Russia and Ukraine; Germany is the second biggest market for us, the UK is growing year-on-year.”
Although there is a pattern of feeder markets being from abroad, hoteliers in the emirate have indicated that the UAE is also a big market. As Gamil Guindi, marketing manager, Iberotel Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort, commented, “60 percent of our guests are from MENA region.” In the same way, Karim Zaki, general manager, Novotel, Ibis and Adagio Fujairah, indicated, “Two thirds of our guests are Emiratis, around eight percent are guests from neighbouring Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.” The MENA region seems to be a positive market for Fujairah’s tourism and Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort witnessed around 30 - 40 percent of its total occupancy fed from this region according to Satish Gujaran, duty manager, Sandy Beach Hotel & Resort. SOMETHING FOR ALL So what is it that attracts tourists to the emirate? According to Fitzner, Fujairah is a laid-back relief after the bustle of the city; on the other hand, for UAE residents and Emirati locals, it is a favourite weekend escape. With a vast array of offerings for tourists, such as diving, historical sights, as well as MICE facilities, Chinopoulou pointed out that Fujairah witnessed a rapid rate of economic and social development and tourism activities. With
14
a breathtaking coastline of more than 90km, it is the only emirate situated entirely along the Gulf of Oman. “Fujairah is growing and attracting tourists for the relaxation available far from the Dubai crowd,” noted Gujaran, indicating that the emirate is confidently luring in travellers for a dissimilar experience to that of other emirates. DEVELOPING CONNECTIONS With connections to the emirate currently being marginal, Fujairah International Airport is set to witness major developments. As of 2015, the hub is to provide enhanced infrastructure that will facilitate the growing industrial, commercial and tourism business. This according to Charles Hadju, acting general manager, Fujairah International Airport, who further noted that scheduled services to and from Fujairah are key to driving further tourism to the emirate. Although Rotana Jet is the only commercial airline serving the airport at present, the airport has numerous other charters and ad-hoc business as well as many diversion flights from the remaining emirates. “We handle all flights, passenger, private, business cargo and military. Historically, our main business stream has been cargo but we are aiming to have a more balanced portfolio,” noted Hadju. NOVEMBER 2014