Tourism is thriving in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) following a 9% increase in visitors compared to this time last year.
The figures were released by Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), which develops and regulates the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and initiates its domestic and overseas promotions.
Visitor arrivals over the period reached 631,617, guest nights grew 12.4%, occupancy rose 1.3% to 69.2%, while length of stay came in at 3.55 days – a growth of 9%.
“While growth in all KPIs was satisfying, we are particularly pleased with the extended length of stay which we attribute to development of our events calendar and products, such as the highly successful Via Ferrata around Jebel Jais in the Hajar Mountains. As the first regional product of its type, the Jebel Jais Via Ferrata has done much to established the emirate as a credible leisure activity and adventure destination,” explained Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA.
“We now have a strong foundation in which to further develop our product and event offerings on Jebel Jais. This month’s spectacular Vivaldianno concert and new attractions opening in coming months, such as the world’s longest zip line and a multi-view Viewing Deck, all leverage our natural mountain terrain to complement our traditional desert and beach propositions.”
Germany, Russia, the UK, India and Kazakhstan came in as the emirate’s top five international source markets, with the most prominent growth from Russia, with arrivals growing 66.34%. Other major international gains came from the Czech Republic, which delivered 67.58% growth, and Poland, with arrivals soaring by 281.97%.
“These results are directly attributable to the increased overseas tourism partnerships, promotional and marketing activities,” said Mattar.
“We have also witnessed double-digit growth from the Nordics and Central European regions, and will be looking to further engage travel trade partners within these markets to build on nascent potential.”
Aside from the domestic UAE market, which still contributes to more than a third of overall visitors, Saudi Arabia was the emirate’s largest regional market with arrivals from the Kingdom increasing 3.3% in the first nine months compared to the same period last year.
