Tag Archives: Ras Al Khaimah

RAKTDA to launch skatepark

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) is set to open a skatepark at Saqr Park in Ras Al Khaimah, with a fun-filled family event from February 27-29, 2020. A free public event that’s open to all, skatepark at Saqr Park will come to life from 3 pm to 10 pm each day in an alfresco festival of food, shopping and skating action. Its official opening will be celebrated on February 28 with special performances from renowned international skateboarders – 15-year-old Isabelly Avila, her father Garcia Rodriguez and 13-year-old Virginia Fortes Aguas. They will also lead workshops where visitors will have the opportunity to skate with the pros and pick up key techniques, skills and tricks. There will also be games, entertainment, music and an array of delicious food options to choose from throughout the three-day event as well as an outdoor market of goods from local artisans and retailers for those looking to do some shopping. Its opening aligns with RAKTDA’s mandate to cater to the array of interests of visitors to the emirate as well as the local community. It offers a well-equipped outdoor space spanning 620 sqm for the UAE’s growing skating community and guests to face off against a series of obstacles, including a bowl, pyramids, ledges, banks and round rails. The park will enhance Saqr Park’s standing as a one-of-a-kind leisure venue and is set to become a hotspot for the emirate’s avid skateboarders, rollerbladers and BMX bike riders. 

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Ras Al Khaimah declared as Gulf Tourism Capital

Ras Al Khaimah has been declared as the ‘Gulf Tourism Capital’ by the Ministers of Tourism of GCC member states during a recent meeting in Muscat, where they discussed measures aimed at coordinating tourism efforts in GCC countries. The meeting was attended by a UAE delegation led by Mohammed Khamis Al Muhairi, Advisor to the Minister of Economy for Tourism Affairs, on behalf of Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, said a report in WAM. Al Mansouri stated that Ras Al Khaimah’s selection as the capital of Gulf tourism highlights the UAE’s leading stature as a popular tourism destination, noting that the previous years have witnessed ongoing growth in the number of tourists visiting the country from around the world, and praising the decision of GCC tourism ministers and officials. Presenting the key tourism achievements, Al Muhairi said that in 2018, the number of hotel guests visiting the UAE reached 25.6 million, an increase of 3.8 per cent compared to 2017. He also said that the report of the World Tourism and Travel Council in 2019 revealed that the tourism sector made up 11.1 per cent of the UAE’s GDP in 2018, amounting to Dh 164.7 billion ($44.8 billion). This contribution is expected to rise by 3 per cent in 2019, and tourism provided 9.6 per cent of total jobs in 2018, corresponding to around 611,500 positions. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority said, “It is a great honour for the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah to be recognised and named as the “Gulf Tourism Capital” by the tourism ministers and senior officials of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Under the wise leadership of Sheikh …

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Ras Al Khaimah attempts to break two Guinness World Records

Ras Al Khaimah is preparing to welcome 2020 with a mesmerising fireworks display. For the first time, #RAKNYE2020 will feature pyro-drones that will create never-before-seen fireworks starting with the countdown to the beginning of the New Year and culminating with Ras Al Khaimah’s main landmarks being recreated in the sky accompanied by more fireworks. There will also be a special Japanese aerial shell fireworks display, another innovative experience. The two new experiences this year attempt to clinch two Guinness World Records. #RAKNYE2020 will be even more special this year with a range of celebrities – including top performers from the Arab world – set to put forth an awe-inspiring music performance. Details of the event and tickets sales will be revealed in October.  Families will be delighted with an added array of activities for young ones at three new locations dedicated to the public and families along the sea coast opposite Al Marjan Island. To drive the preparations for the event, various government entities in Ras Al Khaimah including Marjan, Ras Al Khaimah Police, Ras Al Khaimah Government Media Office, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, Ras Al Khaimah Chamber of Commerce, Public Works, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, Al Hamra and others, are collaborating to organise another compelling celebration.

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RAKTDA strengthens European ties with multi-city roadshow in UK and Germany

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has further strengthened its position in Europe with a multi-city roadshow in the UK and Germany last month that brought together more than 370 tour operators and travel agents. In a bid to attract 1.5 million visitors by 2021, increased emphasis has been put on growing further awareness in key European markets. The European roadshow covered key cities including Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt, London, Birmingham, Liverpool, and Edinburgh to meet industry representatives and introduce Ras Al Khaimah’s diverse and spectacular beach, desert, mountain, and adventure offerings.  Held at iconic venues such as the Emirates Stadium in London and Edinburgh Castle, the roadshow allowed participants an opportunity to discover Ras Al Khaimah’s unique proposition and its tourism products via presentations, networking events, and interactive quizzes. Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive officer of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “With a unique combination of authentic Arabian hospitality, pristine beaches and outdoor adventure pursuits, Ras Al Khaimah has a great appeal to holidaymakers from all over Europe. We have seen a significant growth in the number of visitors from Europe over the last couple of years, and therefore, our ongoing roadshow programme is a great vehicle to tell the story of the accessible Arabian hospitality. As we look towards our goal of 1.5 million visitors by 2021 and 3 million by 2025, it is essential to personally connect with travel professionals from our source markets to give them a real flavour of everything Ras Al Khaimah has to offer our visitors.”  

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Netherlands’ largest travel trade and consumer fair to present RAK as host destination

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) signed an agreement to present Ras Al Khaimah as the ‘host destination’ at Vakantiebeurs 2020, the largest travel trade and consumer fair in Utrecht, Netherlands. Vakantiebeurs gathers tourism authorities, travel agencies and cultural associations from around the world for an opportunity to introduce their travel destinations and tourism products to consumers and fellow trade partners. Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said, “With a unique combination of authentic Arabian hospitality, pristine beaches and outdoor adventure pursuits, Ras Al Khaimah has a great appeal to holidaymakers from all over Europe. We have seen a significant growth in visitor numbers from Europe over the last couple of years, and therefore, the region continues to be a key focus for our tourism promotion strategy in a bid to attract 1.5 million visitors by 2021. We look forward to our participation as the host destination at Vakantiebeurs 2020 as it supports our promotional efforts in Europe to ultimately drive further tourism growth in Ras Al Khaimah.” Ras Al Khaimah’s attractiveness amongst international tourists continues to be strong – accounting for 62% of overall visitors in 2018 – attributable to its 7,000 years of fascinating history, authentic Arabian culture and heritage, high-profile adventure attractions, magnificent natural landscapes, and exclusive luxury and wellness experiences. In a steadfast commitment to strengthen Ras Al Khaimah’s popularity in European markets, RAKTDA continues to participate in key European travel trade exhibitions.

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Ras Al Khaimah attracts over one million tourists in 2018

Exceeding its target of attracting 1 million visitors by 2018, Ras Al Khaimah reported 1,072,066 visitors from domestic and key international markets during the year. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) reported a 10 per cent growth in visitors compared to 2017, led by the UAE domestic market which continues to generate 38 per cent of overall visitors. Germany continues to be the leading international source market with 83,605 visitors, followed by Russia, with 83,531 visitors – up by a significant 17 per cent on 2017. The third largest source market was the UK, with 63,054 visitors, up 11.5 per cent; India was fourth with 62,325 visitors, up 22 per cent; rounding out the top five was Kazakhstan with 27,168 visitors, a growth of 28 per cent. One of Ras Al Khaimah’s key milestones in 2018 was the launch of Jebel Jais Flight – the world’s longest zipline, which has welcomed over 25,000 flyers since opening 12 months ago. This put Ras Al Khaimah on the map, breaking the world record and strengthening the emirate’s credentials as the fastest growing adventure tourism destination in the region. Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA said, “2018 has been another remarkable year for the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in terms of achievements and milestones accomplished, primarily exceeding our target of 1 million visitors. With the current robust visitor demand, solid regional and international partnerships in place and iconic product launches over the past few years, Ras Al Khaimah is on a mission to further assert its position as the fastest growing tourism destination in the region, whilst promoting our emirate’s breadth of offerings to regional and international target markets”. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority …

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100,000+ customers from 78 countries check into OYO since its launch in UAE

OYO Hotels & Homes welcomed over 100,000 guests from 78 countries across 14 properties and 20 homes in the UAE, since its launch in April last year. With this lease and full inventory control model, OYO currently manages 1,300 rooms within these properties in Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al-Khaimah and Fujairah and is set to touch 12,000 rooms by 2020. Since the first 9 months of its launch, the hotel chain has received guests from within the UAE, which accounted for 45.73 per cent of their guests and the remaining from countries such as India, Oman, Saudi Arabia, France, Russia, United States, Australia, Italy, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mauritius and United Kingdom, among several other counties. OYO aims to grow its market share through its ‘Manchise’ business model — a unique business model that combines the best of management contract and franchise agreement. Through this model, OYO aims to grow its footprint within the two-, three- and four-star hotels in the UAE.  With nearly 15.8 million overnight visitors in 2017, Dubai retained its ranking as the fourth most visited city in the world for the fourth year in a row, according to Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index. Dubai was ahead of Singapore, followed by New York, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Istanbul, and Seoul. Manu Midha, Regional Head — Middle East, OYO Hotels & Homes, said, “OYO has now grown to become a preferred choice for several nationalities across the globe due to its ideal location, quality and also the price point. At the moment, we have touched around 78 countries and we are going to take this number higher due to the upcoming EXPO 2020. With 190 nations already signed up, we are confident that our …

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Ras Al Khaimah attracts more European destinations

Launched by Enter Air, a charter airline of reputed tour operator TUI Poland landed its inaugural direct flight carrying 185 passengers from Wroclaw to Ras Al Khaimah. The new route will be served once a week every Sunday, providing Polish travellers a direct and more accessible access to Ras Al Khaimah. Ras Al Khaimah’s attractiveness as a destination for international travellers continues to be strong, accounting for 62% of overall visitors in the first three quarters of 2018. As part of its Destination 2019 strategy, RAKTDA has significantly increased its promotions in Europe showcasing the diversity of the destination to core audiences in key markets. Commenting on the launch of the new route, Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive Officer, RAKTDA, said, “Over the last few years, Poland has become one of the strongest international tourism source markets to RAK, and therefore this step is an important strategic development that will further facilitate the successful bilateral ties between both the countries. Moreover, this new addition expands the network of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport even further, reflecting the strong global confidence in the Emirate’s travel and tourism industry. Europe is a key market for the Emirate, and we are confident that this new route will be extremely successful in increasing visitor arrivals to the Emirate even further.

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Enter Air charters to Ras Al Khaimah

Launched by Enter Air, a charter airline of reputed tour operator TUI Poland landed its inaugural direct flight carrying 185 passengers from Wroclaw to Ras Al Khaimah. The new route will be served once a week every Sunday, providing Polish travellers a direct and more accessible access to Ras Al Khaimah. Ras Al Khaimah’s attractiveness as a destination for international travellers continues to be strong, accounting for 62% of overall visitors in the first three quarters of 2018. As part of its Destination 2019 strategy, RAKTDA has significantly increased its promotions in Europe showcasing the diversity of the destination to core audiences in key markets. Ras Al Khaimah International Airport now welcomes direct charter and scheduled services from various global destinations including Cairo, Islamabad, Jeddah, Lahore, Peshawar, Calicut, Katowice, Poznan, Warsaw, Luxemburg, Prague and Moscow in addition to Wroclaw. Haitham Mattar, Chief Executive Officer, RAKTDA said, “Over the last few years, Poland has become one of the strongest international tourism source markets to RAK, and therefore this step is an important strategic development that will further facilitate the successful bilateral ties between both countries. Moreover, this new addition expands the network of Ras Al Khaimah International Airport even further, reflecting the strong global confidence in the emirate’s travel and tourism industry. Europe is a key market for the emirate, and we are very confident that this new route will be extremely successful in increasing visitor arrivals to the emirate even further.”

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RAK hotels head for strong National Day occupancy

Ras Al Khaimah’s staycations are maintaining their popularity as the best way to celebrate the UAE National Day on December 2 – the nation’s 47th anniversary. According to Haitham Mattar, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Authority, focus on heritage and cultural activities is having strong appeal with visitors, saying they are expected to push occupancy rates at the emirate’s hotels and resorts for the long weekend to reach more than 90 per cent. He said, “We expect to continue seeing a rise in the occupancy rates of the emirate’s hotels during this long weekend, especially for those looking for exceptional value for money hotel stays and adrenaline-packed adventure activities. I encourage visitors to explore the unique tourist attractions in Ras Al Khaimah, its distinct hotels and get out and get closer to nature.” On December 1, the UAE’s top singers Hussein Al Jasmi and Aida Al Manhali will take to a giant stage in front of the signature Julphar Towers for a free-to-attend cultural musical performance, singing and enacting the history, heritage and culture of Emiratis. Attended by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler, Ras Al Khaimah, the celebrations will start at 8pm and will be followed by a fireworks spectacular. Residents and visitors will also get the chance to witness a spectacular air show performed by Fursan Al Emarat, the aerobatics team of the UAE Air Force, on November 27, 2018 at the Old Corniche, Ras Al Khaimah.

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