RAK to launch new tourism branding

Ras Al Khaimah will launch a new tourism branding this year, pitching the emirate as a “world-class leisure destination” and retreat from the “urban madness” of cities such as Dubai, the head of RAK Tourism Development Authority (RAK TDA) has revealed to Arabian Business.

The emirate will look to promote its unique landscape, with beaches, mountains and desert, as well as outdoor leisure activities and its rich history.

RAK TDA is considering building a mountain village and establishing activities such as mountain biking and zip-lining, to add to the myriad of new beach resorts already opening.

RAK has only been a tourist destination for a few years – the RAK Tourism Development Authority was established in 2011.

Already tourist numbers have grown to 1.24 million last year and the authority’s CEO, Steven Rice, said he expects that to rise to 1.8 million this year, considering 50 percent growth already in the first quarter of 2014.

Three five-star resorts have opened in RAK so far this year, on top of several last year including the new flagship Waldorf Astoria.

“With the spread of Hilton, Rixos, Banyan Tree … all these hotels here in RAK, I think we did a good job of making a destination in the first instance and now what we have to do is develop that destination and turn it into a brand,” Rice said.

Since taking up the CEO job five months ago, Rice has been creating new 10-year master plan to take the emirate’s tourism into “a new and modern phase”.

“That’s something that’s going to be really important because people have to hear the term Ras Al Khaimah and understand exactly what that is,” he said.

“The key things that we have, that we can sell ourselves on, are all around leisure. It’s already a brilliant beach resort destination, [it has] 65 kilometres of beaches, all-year-round weather, it’s close to Dubai but a good 30-50 percent cheaper than Dubai.

“The second thing is the nature side of RAK, with the mountains.

“We’re talking to partners about building a mountain village and to diversify the range and scale of offerings we have in the desert as well. The list of activities that RAK is suitable for is extremely long: mountain biking, zip lining, trekking, mountain sports, rock climbing, it’s all there.”

RAK also has applied to UNESCO to consider some of its historical sites for heritage listing.

Rice said the emirates’ history was “unbelievable”.

“It’s got historical sites dating back 5000 years,” he said.

The new RAK branding will promote the emirate as a more relaxing destination than Dubai.

“It’s peaceful, tranquil [and] relaxed compared to Dubai, which is fast and busy and hectic,” Rice said.

“I think we all enjoy a bit of the urban madness from time to time but you enjoy it even more if you can get away to the relaxed tranquility of RAK as a contrast.

“If you think of Dubai as New York you can think of RAK as a sleepy California, and that’s really where we’re going.”

RAK to launch new tourism branding