Mohamed A. Al Noman, the authority's director general, said that the statistics showed the vibrancy and resilience of Sharjah's tourism sector, and its ability to attract increasing numbers of tourists from all over the world despite the current challenging market conditions including the spread of the swine flu virus.

'These statistics reflect the changes that are occurring in Sharjah's tourism sector, and the positive outcome of our efforts throughout the year,' Noman said.