Ras Al Khaimah, UAE: Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) today announced a strong upturn in the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality performance during the initial phase of recovery post the COVID-19 pandemic. The Authority had launched a range of far reaching support initiatives, aimed at its hospitality, leisure and development partners, during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis to lay the strong foundations for future recovery. Moreover, stringent safety measures were implemented across the Emirate to safeguard guests and residents leading to internationally renowned certifications and a quick bounce-back of its tourism industry.
Ras Al Khaimah’s key performance highlights during the initial phase of recovery include:
- Ras Al Khaimah reported an average ADR increase of 12.9% over Eid Al Adha break, the highest average room rate, compared to the last three years under normal (non-pandemic) travel circumstances.
- Despite the regional effects of the pandemic, Ras Al Khaimah leads in RevPAR in the UAE.
- The ongoing ‘Shortcation’ Campaign, which was launched in early June targeting domestic travel, drove bookings of almost 7,000 nights during the first eight weeks of the campaign.
- During Eid Al Adha holiday, Ras Al Khaimah hotels and resorts welcomed over 18,000 guests who chose the Emirate as their preferred staycation destination.
- The Jais Adventure Peak which has welcomed over 52,000 thrill seekers to date, reopened with strict sanitary measures and continues to receive visitors.
- Ras Al Khaimah becomes the first city in the world to be certified as safe by Bureau Veritas and the first Emirate to receive the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels Stamp. RAKTDA partners with the National Crisis & Emergency Management Authority and Ras Al Khaimah Preventive Medicine Department provide free COVID-19 PCR testing for all hospitality staff in the Emirate.
- All 45 hotels in Ras Al Khaimah have received the Bureau Veritas certification.
- Al Hamra International Exhibition and Conference Center, the 50,000 square foot meeting facility, became the first conference center in the Middle East to be certified by Bureau Veritas.
- Since April 2020, the Authority has conducted a series of destination focused webinars which showcased the Emirate’s diverse offering and resulted in training more than 4,000 travel partners.
About Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) is the northernmost of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates. It is known for its rich history, dating back 7,000 years, and diverse landscape, from 64km of pristine beaches, to terracotta deserts and an imposing mountain backdrop. The Emirate is home to the highest peak in the UAE, Jebel Jais, standing at 1,934 meters and featuring the world’s longest zip line, at almost 3km.
Ras Al Khaimah is also centrally located at the modern crossroad between Europe, Asia and Africa, with one third of the world’s population within four hour’s flying time, making it an ideal location for businesses to expand into the UAE, the Middle East and Africa and beyond. Indeed, the World Bank’s Doing Business report ranks Ras Al Khaimah 30th out of 190 economies for ease of doing business.
At the Emirate's economic heart lies multiple major companies and diverse sectoral interests, including manufacturing and tourism. Major companies include: RAK Ceramics, RAKBANK, Julphar Pharmaceuticals, RAK Ports, RAK Rock, Stevin Rock, RAK Economic Zone, RAK Gas. Supporting these industries is a modern infrastructure, state-of-the-art industrial areas and business parks and world-class hotels, facilities and attractions for tourists.
For the past decade, Ras Al Khaimah has been consistently rated ‘A’ by international rating agencies (Fitch and Standard & Poor’s) and already the Emirate is home to more than 38,000 businesses from 100 countries representing over 50 industries.
Ras Al Khaimah Government adopts an institutional approach to governance and business procedures and it is committed to reducing red tape and improving the ease of doing business. RAK Courts is a prime example of this as it is the fastest court in the world at enforcing contracts in commercial disputes.
Ras Al Khaimah is also a cultural melting pot with a growing population, currently at about 375,000, 31% of which is local Emirati. It is considered an extremely safe place to live, consistently ranked highly in global surveys.
With year-round sunshine, straightforward business set-up and a competitive and affordable cost of living, Ras Al Khaimah is the informed choice for business, lifestyle and travel.
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About Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA)
The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA) was established in May 2011 under the government of Ras Al Khaimah. In order to attract 1.5 million visitors by 2021, and 3 million visitors by 2025, the Ras Al Khaimah TDA aims to develop the Emirate’s tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al Khaimah as a world-class destination for leisure and business travel, creating sustainable investment opportunities and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. In order to achieve its goals, the Ras Al Khaimah TDA has a government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality industry.
About Bureau Veritas
Bureau Veritas is a world-leading provider in testing, inspection and certification. Created in 1828, the Group has more than 78,000 employees located in more than 1,500 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients to improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.
Bureau Veritas has been present in the Middle East for more than 50 years and currently has more than 4,000 employees across the region in more than 50 offices and laboratories located in 18 countries.
For more information, visit https://middle-east.bureauveritas.com, and follow us on LinkedIn.
© Press Release 2020
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