The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has announced its most successful year in tourism to date, with a record-breaking 1.22 million overnight arrivals in the Nature Emirate in 2023. This represents an 8 percent increase from the previous year, driven by a significant 24 percent rise in international visitors.
RAKTDA’s strategic growth plans have played a crucial role in this outstanding performance. Through investments in tourism infrastructure and targeted initiatives to attract more visitors to the Emirate, Ras Al Khaimah has solidified its position as a destination of the future. Key achievements in 2023 include:
- A 24 percent growth in international visitors, supported by over 2,200 international activities such as roadshows, trade fairs, and media events across 30 countries.
- Establishment as a prominent hub for business and social events, evidenced by a 23 percent increase in revenue from MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and a remarkable 103 percent rise in revenue from weddings.
- Recognition for sustainability efforts, as Ras Al Khaimah received the Silver Certification under EarthCheck’s Sustainable Destinations program. It is the only destination in the Middle East to achieve this level of certification, along with more than 20 tourism partners including hotels and attractions.
- Inclusion in prestigious travel lists, such as CNN Travel’s best destinations to visit in 2023, Condé Nast Traveler’s best places to go in Asia in 2024, Travel + Leisure India’s endorsement of Ras Al Khaimah as the go-to place in the UAE instead of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and Forbes’ recommendation to visit Ras Al Khaimah.
- Improved international air connectivity through the introduction of direct flights with Qatar Airways, Indian carrier IndiGo’s, Smart Wings, Centrum Air, and SmartLynx.
- Launch of borderless travel initiatives in collaboration with Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), promoting tourism across destinations and boosting visitor arrivals to both Ras Al Khaimah and Musandam.
- The opening of the Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort at the beginning of 2024 and the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah after a comprehensive refurbishment.
- Hosting of high-profile events that garnered significant attention, including the 2023 WMF Minifootball World Cup, DP World Tour, RAK Half Marathon, Arab Aviation Summit, Exotic Wedding Planning Conference, and the Global Citizen Forum.
- Setting two new Guinness World Record titles and attracting over 65,000 visitors to its New Year’s Eve fireworks and drone display in 2024.
- RAKTDA’s consistent commitment to excellence in the workplace, as evidenced by its certification as a Great Place to Work® for the third consecutive year and its ranking as the 4th Best Workplace in the Public Sector for the GCC in 2023.
Setting the groundwork for sustainable growth
Commenting on Ras Al Khaimah’s record-breaking 2023, Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “It has been a great year for our Emirate, one that clearly set the groundwork for sustainable growth and development in Ras Al Khaimah.” He further added, “Despite global challenges that have impacted our industry, we remained agile and resilient as a tourism community, working together to deliver a destination offering that would resonate with our visitors and residents alike. From investing in infrastructure and staging world-class events to making our Emirate sustainable and accessible to all, Ras Al Khaimah is firmly on the path for continued success in 2024 and beyond.”
Delivering more visitors to Ras Al Khaimah
RAKTDA’s efforts to promote the Emirate to a wider global audience yielded positive results in 2023, resulting in an 8 percent increase in total annual visitors, reaching a milestone of 1.22 million. This growth was supported by a 24 percent boost in international visitors. Additionally, the Emirate experienced a significant rise in hotel occupancy rate, reaching an impressive 74 percent, which marks a year-on-year growth of 12 percentage points.
In light of Ras Al Khaimah’s proximity to the Sultanate of Oman, RAKTDA entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) to pursue cross-destination tourism activities that benefit both locations. This unique strategic partnership aims to position Ras Al Khaimah and Oman’s Musandam region as leading global tourism destinations in the Middle East. The partnership creates opportunities for travelers to visit both destinations in a single trip.
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Connecting the world to the Emirate
Enhancing the availability of flights to Ras Al Khaimah is vital for achieving tourism arrival targets. On November 1st, 2023, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport received a significant boost with the commencement of daily service by Qatar Airways. This new service connects the Emirate to a vast network of over 160 destinations worldwide through the airline’s hub in Doha.
India, a key market for tourism in Ras Al Khaimah, especially for leisure, incentives, and weddings, experienced accelerated growth in arrivals with the introduction of direct flights by IndiGo. In addition to their existing direct flight from Mumbai, the airline launched a direct service from Hyderabad, further facilitating travel to the Emirate.
Expanding beyond air connectivity, Ras Al Khaimah also welcomed visits from luxury cruise liners. In the first half of the year, four cruise liners made six calls to the Emirate. This trend is set to continue, with projections of 14 luxury cruise calls in the 2023/2024 season, growing to 20 by 2025/2026 and reaching 50 by 2030/2031. These cruise calls will bring in more passengers and contribute to the overall increase in tourist arrivals.
Responsible tourism development
In 2023, the Emirate achieved Silver Certification under EarthCheck’s Sustainable Destinations program – a first in the Middle East. EarthCheck’s rigorous process involves monitoring and auditing across 10 sustainability indicators – from energy and water consumption to waste management, carbon footprint analysis, and community engagement. Bolstering this initiative, RAKTDA launched its own sustainability certification program for tourism businesses, Responsible RAK, with more than 20 hotels, attractions, and tour operators having earned Responsible RAK Silver Certification to date.
The Emirate outperformed the baseline average in three significant areas, reporting a performance that was better by 23 percent in energy consumption with savings of 12.4 gigajoules since 2021, 29 percent in greenhouse gas emissions equating to a saving of 1.8 million tonnes of CO2, and 61 percent in waste output, leading to savings of 420 million liters since 2021.
More rooms drive visitor growth
Ras Al Khaimah’s fast-growing hotel portfolio is central to delivering more arrivals to the Emirate. In 2023, several new hospitality projects were announced, including Nobu, Le Méridien, W Hotels, JW Marriott, and Hilton on Al Marjan Island, as well as Nikki Beach on Mina Al Arab, representing over 1,800 keys in total. The destination also welcomed the Anantara Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah Resort, which fully opened its doors on January 2nd, 2024, offering 174 rooms, suites, and villas, including the Emirate’s first overwater villas. Additionally, the iconic Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah reopened following an extensive refurbishment, revealing revamped rooms and suites, new culinary experiences, and a reimagined wellness and events space. Other upcoming hotel projects, such as the Westin Resort (257 keys), Sofitel Al Hamra (292 keys), Rove Al Marjan Island (441 keys), Rotana Mangrove (258 keys), and Saij, A Mantis Collection Mountain Lodge (70 keys), are all set to open in the near future (2024/2025). Design details of the new $3.9 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island were also revealed, with the 1,500-key mega resort inspired by the seascape of Al Marjan’s four islands. The integrated resort will feature shopping, a gaming area, a state-of-the-art events center, wellness and spa facilities, 24 dining and lounge experiences, and extensive entertainment choices.
A fast-growing events hub and record breaker
In 2023, Ras Al Khaimah continued to cement its status as a global hub for business and social events, witnessing a 23 percent growth in MICE revenue and a 103 percent increase in revenue from weddings. The Emirate also hosted several headline-grabbing events, including the Arab Aviation Summit, Exotic Wedding Planning Conference (EWPC), the Global Citizen Forum, DP World Tour, and the RAK Half Marathon. Its reputation as a leading sports events destination was further boosted when the 2023 WMF Minifootball World Cup kicked off in November, marking the tournament’s Middle East debut and attracting 32 national teams and over 30,000 spectators.
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