RAK targets 850,000 visitors by 2015-end
[ Images: Copyright © 2015 Giuseppe Digno Photography ]
As hospitality and tourism activity picks up in parts of the Northern Emirates, Ras Al Khaimah is expecting to receive 850,000 visitors by the end of the year, up 16 per cent compared to the same period in 2014.
During the third quarter of 2015, the emirate welcomed 199,392 tourists, an increase of 14 per cent compared to the same period in 2014, with the key source market being UAE achieving 49 per cent of total visitors. Germany remains the top international inbound market with 9 per cent of visitors, followed by the UK, Russia and India. Hotel key performance indicators across Ras Al Khaimah showcased increases in Q3 2015 compared to Q3 2014; occupancy rates stood at 58 per cent while ADR's achieved $136, an increase of 7 percentage points and 18 per cent respectively, resulting in RevPAR levels reaching $79, a significant increase of 36 per cent compared to the same period in 2014. The Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority recently announced its vision for 2018 to promote growth and diversification across the emirates tourism sector. The targets outlined by the 2018 vision include attracting one million visitors by 2018 and increasing the average length of stay from 3.1. to 3.6 days. Furthermore, Ras Al Khaimah expects to add approximately 3,600 hotel rooms by 2019 - up from a current supply of approximately 5,000 hotel rooms - including a Marriott hotel of 300 keys and Anantara Mina Al Arab comprising of approximately 225 keys, which are both slated to open in 2018. [ Click to Read Full Article ]
