Business | Tourism
RAK tourist arrivals surge 28% to 215,000 last year
Two dozen five-star hotels poised to open in the emirate in five years.
- By Natasha Marrian, Staff Reporter
- Published: 20:58 September 7, 2008
Dubai: Tourist arrivals in Ras Al Khaimah surged by 28 per cent in 2007, its most significant increase in the last few years, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism said on Sunday.
RAK Tourism manager Hilary McCormack said the official number of tourists visiting the emirate per annum is around 215,000, excluding day visitors.
"A lot of our tourists are coming from European countries like Germany, France and Italy.
"We are focusing on increasing the number of tourists from Russia," she said.
Nearly two dozen five-star hotels are poised to open in Ras Al Khaimah in the next five years.
They are expected to more than double the current supply of hotel rooms, thus helping to accommodate the 2.5 million tourists the emirate aims to attract by 2012.
Currently, said McCormack, the number of rooms is about 1,500, but this number is expected to increase to about 3,700 in the next four years.
New level
"Hotel development has jumped to a new level in Ras Al Khaimah as tourism activities continue to attract domestic, regional and international tourists to the emirate.
"It is also part of our strategy to keep watch for unique and innovative hotel operators in a bid to diversify our portfolio of hotels in the emirate," she said.
"There is still so much room for expansion in this sector and we are looking forward to establishing partnerships with more world-renowned hotel brands in the future," she said.
Occupancy of major hotels exceeds 85 per cent as visitors respond to RAK Tourism's promoting the emirate internationally through media such as CNN Traveler.
The emirate is being promoted primarily as a leisure destination with a focus on its heritage and cultural sites while at the same time consolidating its reputation as a premier business tourism destination, particularly MICE (meetings, incentives, conference and exhibitions) activities, McCormack said.
Five-star hotels expected to open within the next few years include the Al Hamra Fort Hotel & Beach Resort, Al Hamra Village Townhouse & Golf Resort, Khatt Springs Hotel & Spa, Hilton Beach Resort & Spa, and Hilton Ras Al Khaimah.
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