Summer visitors push RAK's tourism growth into double-digits

All set to attract one million visitors by 2018 end, the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) has seen a significant boom in the number of visitors in the first nine months of the year despite the traditionally low summer season.
Ras Al Khaimah is ideally positioned to welcome travellers from across all markets, with a number of airlines servicing the emirate through RAK International Airport and Dubai International Airport, which is only 45 minutes away.
The Tourism Development Authority here has reported double-digit growth in visitor numbers in line with the robust development across the emirate which offers something for every traveller with its pristine 64km of beachfront, unique mountainous landscape and range of 5-star hotels and resorts at 4-star prices.
Official records show that visitor arrivals to Ras Al Khaimah's hotels increased by 10.4 percent between January and September of this year when compared to the same nine-month period in 2015, a factor attributed to a phenomenal increase of visitors between June and August.
"The emirate saw an unprecedented increase in our hotel occupancy rates, which is testament to our various roadshows and promotional campaigns throughout the year," said Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAK Tourism Development Authority.
Between June and August 2016, Ras Al Khaimah's hotels reported an increased occupancy of 15.9 percent compared to the same period in 2015, he added. "Guest nights during this same timeframe grew by 22.3 percent, with RevPAR 14 percent more than the previous year."
The positive trend continued through September with visitor arrivals rising by 37 percent on the same month last year, he stated. "Ras Al Khaimah's expanding hotel proposition experienced significant increases during the first three quarters of 2016, with hotel occupancy averaging 70.5 percent, marking a 13.6 percent growth on last year. RevPAR grew by 8.5 percent over the same period, with room revenue increasing by 12.3 percent."
Despite anticipated downturn from the UK market following the BREXIT vote, an increase in tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom maintained its status as one of Ras Al Khaimah's key source markets, behind only the UAE and Germany.
"Between January and September, visitors from the UK to the emirate increased by 28.6 percent. Other key markets also grew during the first nine months of 2016, with year-to-date increases recorded from Germany (53 percent), India (22 percent), and Russia (4.6 percent). The latter of the two ranks fourth and fifth, respectively, in Ras Al Khaimah's top five source markets."
Significant growth was recorded from markets such as Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia and Scandinavia, Matter said. "Poland represented 157 percent year-on-year growth, with further increases expected following TUI's launch of two new charter flights between Katowice, Warsaw and Ras Al Khaimah in October."

• Ras Al Khaimah