Gulf Today, Jul 31, 2022 | Muharram 02, 1444
RAK tourism sector returns to pre-pandemic visitor numbers
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) announces its highest
visitor numbers since the onset of Covid-19, with the Emirate reporting visitor
arrival numbers in line with pre-pandemic footfall across the first six months
of 2022.
The impressive H1 performance saw the Emirate welcome over 521,085 international
and domestics visitors between January and June 2022, a total increase of +21%
vs H1 2021 and a return to pre-pandemic figures from YTD June 2019.
The Emirate’s strong performance in 2022 was bolstered by the opening of several
new hotels and resorts, including Radisson Resort Ras Al Khaimah on Marjan
Island, the InterContinental Mina Al Arab, the first InterContinental Hotels
Group property in the Emirate, and most recently, the debut of Mövenpick at Al
Marjan Island, located on a 300-metre stretch of golden shoreline and home to
the largest floating water park in Ras Al Khaimah. The Emirate now boasts over
8,000 keys, with 4,617 new keys in the pipeline over the next few years.
Celebrated for its outstanding nature, adventurous leisure, and authentic
offerings, Ras Al Khaimah has quickly become one of the most sought-after
sustainable destinations in the Middle East, most recently being included in
Time magazine’s World’s Greatest Places of 2022. The annual list, which features
50 must-visit global destinations, highlighted Ras Al Khaimah for its adventure
offerings and stunning, unique topography and geodiversity. In recognition of
the Emirate’s incredible natural surroundings, the Authority has continued its
development of sustainable new attractions to draw visitors both locally and
internationally. A key new attraction to open was the Jais Sledder, the region’s
longest toboggan ride, spanning over 1,840 exhilarating metres of hairpin curves
and reaching speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour. Jais Sledder has welcomed
over 54,000 visitors since opening in February.
Commenting on the fast rebound of tourism in the Emirate, Raki Phillips, CEO of
Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “Ras A Khaimah is one of the
first destinations in the region to recover to pre-Covid levels thanks to the
agility of our tourism community during the pandemic. This is all the more
remarkable given the current economic and geo-political landscape in which we
operate that drives our focus on what’s important for long term resilience -
diversification, community and sustainability. Our investment strategy, which
focuses on exactly that, has been central to our fast rebound. We are on track
to reach more than 1.11 million arrivals by the end of the year and to fully
return to pre-pandemic levels in just two years.”
Underpinning Ras Al Khaimah’s return to above pre-pandemic visitor numbers is
the Authority’s commitment to building a sustainable destination. Announced at
the 2022 Arabian Travel Market, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority has
adopted a bold new approach to sustainability – Balanced Tourism – marking a key
milestone in its strategy to drive overall growth and become the regional leader
in sustainable tourism by 2025.
The Authority is committed to shaping tourism in the UAE by placing all aspects
of sustainability at the centre of its investment and development strategy to
create a destination that will resonate with today’s responsible traveller.
As such, it unveiled a Tourism Business Accreditation Program that will also
provide a management framework to help individual businesses grow their
sustainability efforts as a means of benchmarking their performance. It is
anticipated that over 30 businesses will receive tourism certifications in the
first year of the program. Additionally, the Authority launched the Destination
Certification Program which provides a firm basis for action on sustainable
management. The Objective is to obtain the “Sustainable Tourism Destination”
certificate for Ras Al Khaimah in 2023, which is internationally recognized.
With the ambition to further drive visitor numbers for the duration of 2022, the
Authority has recently announced a series of strategic partnerships with
airlines and leading tour operators to target emerging and growing source
markets. This includes the introduction of new direct flight routes, with the
Emirate set to welcome several new weekly flights from major cities in Germany,
including Frankfurt, Dusseldorf and Munich. To further boost connectivity, the
Authority is developing the Emirate’s burgeoning cruise sector, with the aim of
attracting 50 cruise ship calls each season, and over 10,000 passengers within
the next few years.
Additionally announced at the beginning of 2022 was the multibillion-dollar
integrated resort development with Wynn Resorts. Scheduled to open in 2026, the
multipurpose integrated resort marks the largest-of-its-kind foreign direct
investment in Ras Al Khaimah. The resort will be home to more than 1,000 rooms,
shopping, meeting and convention facilities, spa, more than 10 restaurants and
lounges, extensive entertainment choices, and a gaming area, set to further
boost visitor numbers in the coming years.