Delegates at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) were given an early taste of Christmas joy today when Santa Claus appeared to greet them with a hearty "Ho Ho Ho" during the exhibition's opening ceremony. Santa Claus, who dropped into the Finnish Tourist Board's stand escorted by his reindeer and elves, will be appearing around Dubai to meet kids and receive their wish-lists first hand.
"I have been receiving many letters from children in Dubai over the years, so I thought I would drop in for a couple of days to meet them," he said. "On my first visit to the Middle East, I thought I would come to the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai to book a holiday for myself and my wife!"
Santa Claus came to Dubai from his home at the foot of a mysterious mountain called Korvatunturi, far, far away in the north, amid the endless wilderness of Finnish Lapland. Hidden from human eyes and ears, he lives with his wife, his elves and his reindeer. He’s in fact been living there so long that he can’t quite remember when he first moved in. He doesn’t actually say much about his home, but he does let on that, as its name - Ear Mountain - suggests, it’s an excellent place for hearing and receiving the hopes and dreams of people of all ages.
The Finnish Tourist Board is represented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by Sharaf Travel, a leading provider of vacation and corporate travel services, based in Dubai. In close cooperation with Sharaf Travel, the Finnish Tourist Board is planning to expand its operation in the region, in partnership with Finnair, the country’s official airline, and market Finland as a safe, family oriented vacation spot in the heart of Scandinavia.
Sharaf Travel is a contemporary and professionally managed travel company, that provides a complete range of travel and tourism related services, which was established in 1991. Sharaf Travel has progressed to the position as one of the top ten travel companies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) and a business partner of Radius - hallmarks of quality service.
Besides being managed by a professional team, Sharaf Travel has outlets in prime locations, within the UAE including Dubai, Jebel Ali, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The activities of Sharaf Travel primarily embrace servicing and satisfying the needs of corporate business travelers and leisure travelers. Sharaf Travel has two subsidiaries, which include Sharaf Holidays (dealing in holiday packages for UAE residence) and Oasis Adventures (dealing in inbound leisure, conference, and incentive services for travel clients visiting the UAE).
