RAK Tourism’s new chief’s vision: Triple the tourists, double the hotels — but keep its soul

Dubai: You might expect the person steering tourism in Ras Al Khaimah at this pivotal moment to be loud, flashy and relentlessly high-octane.

Instead, in walks Phillipa Harrison — warm, composed and quietly formidable. She has the kind of open, unfiltered laugh that makes you lean in — a warmth that contrasts with the scale of the plans she’s outlining.

The new CEO of the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) arrived from Australia just five months ago. She had been running tourism there for six years when, as she puts it, “the usual way — you get a phone call out of the blue” — brought her to the UAE.

What she found surprised her.

“I was so blown away,” she says. “I was blown away by a couple of things. One about the beauty of the emirate.”

Now, at a time when Ras Al Khaimah is preparing for rapid expansion, her ambition is clear: to ensure the world not only knows about the emirate but understands it.

“I want to make sure that the world knows about Ras Al Khaimah and they know what a special place it is to visit.”

Defining distinction

Phillipa's first priority is positioning.

Ras Al Khaimah sits just up the road from two global heavyweights — Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The challenge, she says, is clear: how does it complement them without trying to copy them?

“We have two incredibly powerful, large, global, world-class destinations on our doorstep… And the challenge for me is, how does Ras Al Khaimah fit into that?”

She believes the answer lies in nature, space and what she calls “quiet luxury”.

“When you drive up the road, you just feel your shoulders dropping. You breathe deeper. There’s a really lovely relaxation about being in Ras Al Khaimah.”

Less urban density. More mountain air. Long beaches framed by desert and heritage.

Her tone is thoughtful, but there’s steel beneath it. Tourism, she says, is “so, so competitive”. A destination must know “what your point of distinction is and why people are going to choose you from the hundreds of other places that they could go to for their holiday.”

Ambitious targets

The numbers are bold. Last year, RAK recorded its strongest tourism year to date, welcoming 1.35 million overnight visitors, a 6 per cent year-on-year increase. Tourism revenues grew even faster, rising at 12 per cent, as the Emirate gears up to launch Wynn Al Marjan resort – the UAE’s first integrated gaming resort in 2027.

“We’re going to double the hotel keys in the emirate in the next three years. We’re going to triple our visitation by 2030," she said.

That scale of growth requires precision. Eight markets already account for 80 per cent of business and revenue — and those will be the focus.

Half of Ras Al Khaimah’s visitors are domestic. That won’t change.

“We are going to double down and focus on that and tell the new story of Ras Al Khaimah to the domestic audience.”

Regionally, Saudi Arabia is key. In Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan and the CIS markets remain strong. Russia alone grew 20 per cent in visitor arrivals last year — but 40 per cent in revenue, signalling a higher-spending traveller. Germany and the UK remain priorities.

Emerging markets? India and China. “They’re small base for us, but they’re growing fast, and we see those as big markets of the future.”

Her strategy is disciplined. Thirty markets in total — but laser focus on the eight that matter most.

Access and expansion

Connectivity underpins everything.

Ras Al Khaimah’s airport passed one million arrivals last year for the first time, with ten new routes added over the past year. Scheduled services link to Saudi Arabia and India, alongside charter traffic from Poland, Romania, Russia and Uzbekistan.

And then there is the future. “There’s a lot of opportunity in arriving by water,” she says, almost lightly — but it hints at longer-term thinking.

Ease of access, she insists, is already a strength. “It’s very easy to arrive here.”

Culture forward

If there is one personal imprint Phillipa wants to leave, it is depth.

“We’ve got incredible sun and sand; we’ve got incredible nature. I think people know about that, but I really want to bring the culture and heritage to the forefront.”

She speaks animatedly about Emirati culture — mountain tribes, desert tribes, sea tribes — and about Ras Al Khaimah’s 7,000-year trading history.

“We used to be an incredible trading town on the Silk Route.”

There is also food, dates, honey, and what she calls an “agri-tourism element” she wants to elevate.

“It’s all there. It’s just bringing it to the forefront.”

For Phillipa, the real risk isn’t competition. It is a misrepresentation.

“The risk is not being authentic and not telling the right story of RAK.”

New hotels

Phillipa also outlined a strong pipeline of hotel developments that will shape Ras Al Khaimah’s next phase of growth.

On Marjan Island, home to the UAE's first integrated gaming resort Wynn Al Marjan, around six resorts are already complete, with several more under construction.

Within the next year alone, she said Janu Al Marjan Island is expected to open, alongside lifestyle brand Armani Beach Residences Ras Al Khaimah, Fairmont and The Unexpected, adding to the island’s expanding mix of residential and resort offerings.

Beyond the coast, the emirate is also pushing into boutique mountain luxury, with Saij Mountain Lodge — a 70-room property run by Mantis — scheduled to open in October.

Together, the projects reflect the scale of expansion underway as the emirate prepares to double its hotel keys in the coming years.

Growth with integrity

Rapid expansion can dilute a destination’s soul. Phillipa is acutely aware of this. “The way that you manage that is through very thoughtful planning.”

Even when the emirate doubles in size, she says, “we’re still going to be small and boutique.”

She points to master planning that prioritises walkability, green space and livability — for residents as much as visitors.

“We build on that; we don’t destroy that.” Her language often returns to alignment — industry, leadership, hotels, stakeholders, all pulling in the same direction.

When asked what kind of leader she wants to be, she doesn’t talk about spectacle or legacy projects.

“The best success that I’ve had is when everybody is pulling in the same direction.”

Her goal, ultimately, is simple.

“Leave a destination that is world-class, that people love, but is also an incredible place for people to live and prosper as well.”

It’s not the rhetoric of hype. It’s something steadier.

In an era when Ras Al Khaimah is expanding rapidly and attracting global attention, Phillipa's style feels almost like the emirate itself: calm on the surface, ambitious underneath — and very sure of where it’s heading.