Page 29 - SCCI Annual Report 2021 English NEW

Thanks to the UAE's effective handling of vaccines and tests, the country became an attractive destination in the post- Corona era, as evidenced by the recovery in the tourism and hospitality sectors in Q4 of 2021. The UAE ranked 26 in the list of Most Popular Countries; as nearly 16 million visitors headed to it during 2021(4) supported by the success of the global event Expo 2020. The number of passengers traveling through UAE airports in 2021 witnessed a growth of 15.8%, registering more than should we write "over 41 million and 370 thousand passengers"? Statistics also show that Sharjah Airport is one of the three main airports in the country that succeeded in 2021 in addressing the challenges facing travelers around the world due to the CVOID-19 crisis and moving towards recovering its pre-crisis rates. In 2021, Sharjah International Airport continued its consistent strides towards full recovery from COVID-19 effects, receiving more than 7 million travelers on more than 57,000 trips. Sharjah International Airport statistics for the year 2021 also indicate that passenger and air cargo flights were in operation to 152 destinations in 57 countries through 26 air passenger lines operating at the Airport, in addition to the nine air cargo lines. The tourism sector in Sharjah witnessed a growth of 16% in the number of visitors compared to same period last year. Furthermore, the sector witnessed the opening of new hotels and organizing vacation home rentals for the first time in the Emirate to promote its reputation as a leading tourism destination providing quality hospitality services. Growth in the Number of Travelers ANNUAL REPORT (4) Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/most-visited-countries 27