Tourism & Hospitality | Thursday 13 October, 2016 12:50 pm |

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), which develops the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and plans, initiates and drives its domestic and overseas promotions, has ramped up its travel trade activities and consumer awareness campaigns in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in an effort to draw more visitors from the GCC market.

During the first nine months of this year, RAKTDA reported an upturn of 18 per cent in the number of Saudi visitors staying in Ras Al Khaimah’s hotels, compared to the same period in 2015. Moreover, for the month of September, Saudi visitors to Ras Al Khaimah have increased by 39 per cent compared to September 2015.

Positioning itself as one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in the region, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority hosted a travel trade roadshow in Saudi Arabia this week in partnership with Emirates Airline. More than 85 key stakeholders from the Saudi travel trade attended the roadshow which comprised awareness workshops for the travel trade in Jeddah and Riyadh on 9th and 10th October.

Haitham Mattar, CEO of RAKTDA, commented: “The UAE is already a very popular choice for Saudi tourists, and we are rapidly establishing Ras Al Khaimah as an exciting new destination for visitors from the Kingdom. Located only 45 minutes’ drive from Dubai International Airport, Ras Al Khaimah is gearing up to welcome even more Saudi tourists who choose to visit the emirate as both a standalone holiday and as an add-on to their Dubai trip.”

The co-hosted roadshow comprised an awareness workshop, highlighting the beautiful emirate of Ras Al Khaimah as an idyllic option for holidaymakers from the Kingdom, with an emphasis on the various offerings available for families.

“With 64 kilometres of pristine coastline amongst its many natural and cultural treasures, Ras Al Khaimah is a desirable choice for the UAE and GCC market due to the diversity of its hotel offering, distinctive cultural heritage and stunning natural landscapes. Families from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are increasingly on the lookout for a convenient and safe destination within a short flight distance. They are keen to experience new vacation choices, and are attracted by outstanding hotel facilities, kids clubs, water sports and great shopping facilities. In addition to this, they can find exclusive accommodation features and halal tourism offerings available in several of Ras Al Khaimah’s resorts,” added Mattar. 

RAKTDA has launched its Vision 2019 tourism strategy with a target for 1 million visitors by the end of 2018. The strategy focuses on the emirate’s inimitable assets which include some of the finest beaches and nature in the region, the highest mountain in the UAE, a unique terracotta desert, 7,000 years of history and heritage, as well as authentic Arabian cultural experiences. The tourism body is planning an additional 20,000 hotel rooms by 2025, along with new tourist attractions, products and events to be developed across Ras Al Khaimah.

Emirates Airline serves the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 70 flights a week offering seamless travel to Dubai from its four gateways: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medinah Al Munawarah.