RAS AL KHAIMAH in the UAE is witnessing a tourism boom with the development of new hotels by international brands including Hilton Worldwide and Banyan Tree.
The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority expects to welcome 1.2 million visitors to the emirate by the end of 2013 and aims to increase the emirate’s hotel inventory to 10,000 rooms by 2016.
Mohamed Ruqait Al Ali, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, speaks to TTN...
How has tourism been this year?
Occupancy levels in the first half of 2013 for beach hotels and resorts reached 67.89 per cent and the average daily rate reached $167.96, which resulted in revenue per available room (RevPar) of $114.04, room revenues of $50.070 million and total hotel revenues of $83.117 million.
Occupancy in city hotels reached 57.07 per cent and the average daily rate was $70.97, which resulted in RevPar of $40.50, room revenue of $11.124 million and total hotel revenue of $18.710 million.
What kind of tourism arrivals have you seen and who have been your key source markets?
With hotels ranging from beach to city to desert resorts, including the Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Resort & Spa, Banyan Tree Ras Al Khaimah Beach, Banyan Tree Al Wadi and Cove Rotana, Ras Al Khaimah offers fantastic experiences for families, friends, couples and individuals seeking a luxurious retreat.
The emirate has three strong markets – the UAE, Germany and Russia – which collectively account for around 70 per cent of tourists. In the first half of 2013, the UAE was the strongest market, bringing in more than 232,480 visitors, followed by Germany with 160,564 visitors and Russia with 129,700 visitors.
Ras Al Khaimah is also growing its reputation within its top 10 markets, which include Ukraine, Italy, India, UK and Czech Republic and we are focused on developing visitor numbers from other markets such as China and Saudi Arabia.
During the first half of 2013, we hosted 723,852 guests and, with the recent opening of the Waldorf Astoria, which marks the entry of this Hilton Worldwide brand to the UAE, visitor numbers are expected to reach 1.2 million by the end of the year.
What is the status of your hotel inventory?
Ras Al Khaimah currently has 16 hotels, including the Waldorf Astoria which brings the legendary Waldorf service to one of the most alluring beachfront locations in the Middle East, featuring a 350 m beach, spa and 18-hole championship golf course.
Looking forward to 2014, there are four hotels due to open in Ras Al Khaimah, which will include the first hotels to open on Al Marjan Island, Ras Al Khaimah’s man-made island project. They include the 657-room Rixos Bab Al Bahr Resort, the 315-room Marjan Island Resort and Spa, the 484-room DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa, Marjan Island, and the 265-room Santorini Hotel, which together will be bringing another 1,721 rooms to Ras Al Khaimah’s inventory and working towards increasing the hotel room inventory to reach 10,000 rooms by the year 2016, compared to 3,000 rooms in 2012.
A large number of five-star properties have opened in recent years. Are there plans to tap the four-star/budget markets?
Ras Al Khaimah is responding to the growing demand for premium luxury destinations among both European and GCC visitors who are seek premium branded hotels paired with a variety of experiences from outdoor sports, heritage tours, gourmet culinary experiences and relaxation in spas and on beaches.
We are also placing increasing focus on developing Ras Al Khaimah’s standalone food and beverage and activity offerings. We are pleased to announce that the highly successful Italian restaurant Pesto, which Ras Al Khaimah Hospitality Group opened on the corniche in 2012, is set to expand with a second Pesto branch at the Al Hamra Golf Club this month. Furthermore, we plan to transform the corniche into a modern downtown complex which will include shops, a suq, play area and coffee shop.
What are your plans for WTM this year?
Our attendance at WTM is an important part of our strategy to position the emirate as one of the premium international tourist destinations and create opportunities for investment, business development and partnerships. Ras Al Khaimah’s diverse landscape, rich heritage, temperate climate and world-class hotels and resorts together make it a globally recognised destination for luxury and adventure travel, ideal for friends, couples and families to explore.