Implementing its tourism strategy focused on strengthening tourism related infrastructure, sustainable and responsible tourism, diversification of product profile, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RKTDA) is confident of achieving its tourism development goal.
“It was great to reconnect with our travel partners in India since the start of the pandemic. India is a very viable and highly valued travel market; last year alone it was the third largest international source market for Ras Al Khaimah, welcoming over 30,000 visitors. This is considerable given that the Indian market was largely closed or restricted last year. We aim to increase this and go back to pre-pandemic tourism numbers through promotional activities geared towards leisure travellers and incentives targeting MICE, destination weddings and other celebrations,” Iyad Rasbey, Executive Director Destination Tourism Development & MICE, , RKTDA, said addressing media in New Delhi recently.
RAKTDA announced a tourism strategy that will see the destination become the regional leader in sustainable tourism by 2025. It maps out key steps for the Emirate to secure long-term sustainability that will drive overall tourism growth objectives and contribute directly to national and international climate change and environmental policy commitments.
An investment of USD $134 million is geared towards 20 sustainable tourism developments across the Emirate especially on Jebel Jais where our projects have been designed to not just protect the mountain ecosystem, but to enhance it. By creating attractions that preserve the Emirate’s culture and local communities, guests will be able to enjoy authentic experiences that will see them leaving a positive impact in Ras Al Khaimah when visiting.
On new and upcoming destination attractions in 2022, the Jais Sledder, the region’s longest toboggan ride were highlighted amongst a line-up of upcoming enhancements on Jebel Jais like the Jais Wings (paragliding) and Jais Mountain eco-golf. New sustainable accommodation includes Earth Altitude, an eco-based pop-up hotel concept and Cloud7 Camp Jebel Jais, the ultimate sustainable glamping experience. In addition, a brand-new tethered hot air ballooning experience in Manar mall, RAK airventure, which will offer panoramic views of the city above the beautiful mangroves and a Scallop Ranch at Al Hamra Marine will offer oyster/scallop diving, live cooking, family and kids’ experiences, and cultural activations.
Expanding the destination’s portfolio of world-class hotels, the Emirate recently welcomed the opening of InterContinental Mina Al Arab with 351 rooms, the largest Hampton by Hilton globally, with more than 500 rooms and Radisson Al Marjan Island with 388 rooms. Operated by global hospitality brands, a series of new hotels and resorts will be launched across the Emirate over the next three years including Marriott, Movenpick, Anantara, Sofitel and Conrad, adding 3,525 keys to the current 7,720 keys in Ras Al Khaimah.
Ras Al Khaimah received 1.1 million tourists, including 60,000 to 65,000 from India, in 2019. “In 2020 our overall tourist count was 715,000. But the majority were domestic travellers. We didn’t receive many from India due to travel restrictions back then. But in 2021, with travel restrictions in India, we received 30,000 to 35,000 tourists, while the overall count was close to 980,000,” Rasbey informed.
He highlighted the leisure offerings of the destination as well as updates that position Ras Al Khaimah as an attractive MICE destination and weddings for the Indian market. Efforts are also underway to create safe and attractive offerings for MICE and wedding travel. We anticipate increased interest in our Emirate for destination weddings, he said.
Rasbey said that India is one of the top international source markets for Ras Al Khaimah, followed by Russia, Kazakhstan, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Talking about their strategy to tackle the challenges due to the pandemic, he said that Ras Al Khaimah adopted several new measures to counter the challenges. This included following strictly following the safety protocols, sustainability practices, and product diversification. RAK was less impacted by the Covid-19 compared to other destinations. “We are a value for money destination with products for all categories of travelers, “he said.
Speaking on the connectivity, he said that currently 85 per cent of international tourists come through Dubai airport. “With 85% of our international guests coming through Dubai International Airport (DXB). Aligned with the government’s supportive efforts, we have seen the destination gain the appeal of Indian visitors for its natural scenery, adventure tourism and more.
Low-cost carrier SpiceJet is the only airline that operates direct flights between India and Ras Al Khaimah. “We are in talks with another Indian airline to strengthen direct air connectivity with Ras Al Khaimah. We expect these direct flights to be operational in the third quarter of this year,” said Rasbey.
