The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (Ras Al Khaimah TDA) was established in May 2011 as a Government of Ras Al Khaimah entity to both develop and promote the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and potential both domestically and abroad.
Ras Al Khaimah TDA is responsible for establishing the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah as a premier affordable luxury destination for leisure, adventure and business travel. In order to achieve its goals, the Authority has a Government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the emirate’s hospitality industry.
It conducts research and analysis of future tourism projects and current trends, creates and implements the branding, marketing and promotion of Ras Al Kamiah’s tourism products and services, and develops, implements and supports strategies designed to encourage tourism investment into the Emirate.
Offering a diverse landscape, rich heritage and a temperate climate, Ras Al Khaimah is an ideal getaway for quality-value leisure and adventure as well as business travel. The emirate presents an extensive selection of exclusive outdoor activities from mountain climbing and mountain biking, kayaking, fishing and golfing as well as premium accommodation, an eclectic selection of international gourmet experiences and world-class spas.
Mission
To position Ras Al Khaimah as global affordable luxury destination for leisure, adventure and business Travel on the local, regional and international levels.
Vision
To achieve global brand recognition as high quality worldwide destination, where visitors achieve the ultimate travel experience through a wide variety of activities within a diverse landscape.
Objectives
• To position the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah as a sustainable investment destination.
• To reinforce the emirate’s global business footprint through upgrading and expanding development opportunities.
• To position and promote Ras Al Khaimah as a key global affordable luxury tourism destination for leisure adventure regionally and internationally.
• To support the hotels, resorts and other tourism entities of Ras Al Khaimah by opening new international channels with Travel Wholesalers and Travel Agents worldwide.
• To raise awareness of Ras Al Khaimah as a leisure destination through Public Relations and Marketing initiatives that target local, regional and international source markets for the emirate.
Strategic Targets
• To increase the total number of annual visitors to Ras Al Khaimah to 1.2 million by the year 2013.
(In 2010, the visitors of Ras Al Khaimah recorded at 600,000 visitors - in 2011, the visitors reached 835,200 exceeding the target that was set of 800,000 visitors.)
• To increase the emirate’s total hotel and resort room inventory to 10,000 keys by the year 2016 compared to 2,500 rooms in 2011.
• To brand and position Ras Al Khaimah regionally and globally in the international tourist map.
• To develop destination masterplan with 10 years projection.
• To promote the emirate as an affordable luxury destination for leisure and adventure travel.
• To drive GDP from 2% to 9% in the coming 4 years.
• To increase the total number of annual visitors to Ras Al Khaimah to 1.2 million by the year 2013 compared to 600,000 visitors in the year 2010.
Activities
• The representation of the Ras Al Khaimah tourism industry at overseas travel shows, conferences and exhibitions. Ras Al Khaimah TDA participated in “Leisure Moscow” in Russia in 2011, “WTM” in the UK in 2011, “ITB” in Germany in 2012, “ATM” in 2012 and hosted as well as took part in road shows in Sweden, Ukraine and Russia.
• The education of travel professionals regarding Ras Al Khaimah’s tourism products and unique attractions through workshops, road-shows, familiarization and training programmes.
• Media and consumer campaigns and promotions.
• The coordination and implementation of joint initiatives with key travel industry players.
• The hosting of leading sporting, cultural and trade exhibitions and events.
• To implement strategies and initiatives designed to generate and encourage tourism investment and investment opportunities into Ras Al Khaimah.
• To facilitate all tourism and hospitality investment opportunities - “Ras Al Khaimah Investors Guide” was launched during the Arabian Investment Conference 2012; an Investment guide featuring the most updated analysis of Ras Al Khaimah’s hotels performances, its indicators, number of hotel visitors and its forecast until the year 2020 as well as an analysis of Ras Al Khaimah among its comparable destination based on Ernst & Young’s data.
This guide introduced to the investors the available investment opportunities including 35 plots within the Al Marjan Island, where, Rixos Bab Al Bar, Crowne Plaza Ras Al Khaimah and DoubleTree by Hilton will take place as scheduled. The highlight of “Ras Al Khaimah Investors Guide” was a section where the investors were provided with complete 10 years plans feasibility studies of the different hotel capacities in Ras Al Khaimah.
• To promote the destination:
The official Ras Al Khaimah movie was launched with the new look and feel of the destination with a budget of AED 1.2 million in collaboration with the winner of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC), Jac Mulder covering rich culture & heritage, local traditions, diverse landscape, natural beauty and wild life together with different adventure and sports activities, shopping malls and exclusive hotels and resorts. (www.youtube.com/visitrasalkhaimah )
The new facebook page was launched (www.facebook.com/visitrasalkhaimah) that presents an overview of the destination together with the latest promotions of the different tourism entities.
The complimentary downloadable “RAK Tourism” destination Apple Application (RAK Tourism App.) for iPad / iPhone was featuring an overview of the emirate’s attractions, hotels, excursions, events, image gallery as well as heritage and culture.
• In 2011 Ras Al Khaimah TDA introduced two charter flights with a German tour operator, and a Swedish tour operator, which are expected to bring an additional 60,000 visitors to the emirate until June 2012. These direct flights to Ras Al Khaimah have proven extremely successful, increasing the hotel revenue to AED 139 million in Q4 2011 with an increase of 39.67% compared to Q4 2010.
Key Tourism Development Projects
• The Government of Ras Al Khaimah is investing U$ 500 million in tourism development projects until the year 2013, which include bringing the emirate’s total hotel and resort room inventory to 10,000 keys by 2016.
• In May 2011 the government signed an agreement with Rakeen Development to complete the acquisition of Banyan Tree Al Wadi and Ras Al Khaimah TDA is currently reviewing plans to expand and upgrade the exclusive desert resort with an extension of the villa complex and the expansion of the wildlife selection including the gazelles, horses, oryx and camels which are housed at the resort.
• Al Marjan Island, the first man-made island project to be developed within Ras Al Khaimah and consists of a cluster of five coral-shaped islands extending over 2.7 million sqm and is worth over US$ 1.8 billion.
Scheduled Openings
• A 632-rooms Rixos Bab Al Bahr Resort, which is being developed on the five man-made Marjan Island of Ras Al Khaimah is scheduled to open in Q1 2013.
• The 349-room Ras Al Khaimah Waldorf Astoria is scheduled to open in Q1 2013, marking the entry of the luxury Hilton Worldwide brand to the UAE.
• The Al Hamra Fort Hotel & Beach Resort will re-open in 2013 as a Hilton Hotels & Resorts property.
• The 340- key DoubleTree by Hilton Resort, Marjan Island is scheduled to open in 2014.
• The 442-rooms Crowne Plaza Ras Al Khaimah scheduled to open in 2015 on the Al Marjan Islands.
• In October 2012, the ultimate Desert experience “Bassata Camp”, which will introduce to its visitors and guests will the Arabian experience with Bedouin shows and entertainment.
• In October 2012, the 100- feet sailing boat “Prince of Sea” offering sailing trips along the beach of Ras Al Khaimah, with extensive entertainment programe as well as sailing trips offering water sports activities in the middle of the sea.
Results for the year 2011:
• The total number of visitors to the emirate in 2011 was recorded at 835,200 visitors, exceeding the 2011 target of 800,000 and generating a revenue boost at almost AED 400 million (U$ 108 million).
• The 2011 visitors to Ras Al Khaimah came from various source markets including Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria and Switzerland, with Germany, as its strongest source market experiencing 200% growth compared to 2010 figures with more than 300,000 visitors followed by the UAE generating more than 200,000 visitors with a growth of 100% compared to last year.
• Ras Al Khaimah hotels, including the Beach Resorts and City Hotels performed very well in 2011, showing impressive growth in all key areas with 8.62% for the Beach Resorts and 1.92% for City Hotels. Revenue per Available Room (RevPar) improved by 24.50% for the Beach Resorts and 10.24% for the City Hotels.