RAK Tourism to Highlight Emirate's Latest Attractions at ATM 2008

Ras Al Khaimah(WAM) — RAK Tourism, the organisation tasked to support, promote and attract tourism initiatives in Ras Al Khaimah, has announced that it will showcase a number of exciting new developments in the emirate's tourism sector during its participation at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2008, the region's leading travel and tourism exhibition being held at the Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Centre from May 6-9, 2008.

With nearly 24,000 expected visitors, market players and industry professionals from over 100 countries participating, this year's 15th edition of the ATM serves as an excellent platform to promote Ras Al Khaimah as the newest tourism success story in the region with its enormous growth in tourist footfall and aggressive investments in tourism infrastructure and facilities.

"We have achieved great success in placing Ras Al Khaimah on the global map, as shown by the emirate's robust annual growth rates in the tourism sector. Ras Al Khaimah is positioning itself as an authentic Arabian tourist attraction, providing visitors a unique mix of rich cultural heritage and state-of-the-art amenities that will make their RAK adventure a truly wonderful and relaxing experience," said Dr. Khater Massaad, CEO, Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA) and Advisor to the Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.

"RAK Tourism's participation at ATM 2008 will provide additional boost to our efforts to strengthen the emirate's reputation in the international tourism market, particularly in view of the excellent mileage the exhibition provides and the enormous networking potential it offers," added Dr. Massaad.

Ras Al Khaimah has been enjoying a significant growth in the number of visitors, as 2007 statistics reveal an annual footfall of over 500,000. Within the next four years, experts project this figure to increase by a phenomenal 400 percent, reaching over 2.5 million visitors annually by 2012, largely as a result of the emirate's continued heavy investments to harness its leisure, business and eco-tourism potential.

Hotels in Ras Al Khaimah have already benefited significantly from the excellent growth opportunities, collectively recording an average occupancy rate of up to 93 percent as tourists are taking advantage of more competitive hotel rates in Ras Al Khaimah, which are up to 40 percent lower than in other emirates.

Moreover, several key developments are expected to further consolidate the emirate's tourism industry, including premium hotels, major golf courses and other tourism-oriented properties that are due to be delivered in the market as early as 2009, as well as the RAK International Airport that has been undergoing a major upgrade to handle over 1.2 million passengers also by 2009.

"Ras Al Khaimah is emerging fast as a major tourist destination and this will be the strategic message that will be echoed during our participation at ATM 2008. The Ras Al Khaimah government and its partners in the private sector have acted swiftly in response to the growing number of tourists, commissioning several new developments to enhance the emirate's tourism infrastructure and expand the amenities and facilities for both leisure and business travellers," said Hilary McCormack, Manager, RAK Tourism.

"Our participation at ATM 2008 will be of particular interest for tourism investors and market players as several new developments in the emirate will be showcased and launched at the event. We have prepared extensively to ensure a highly informative and stimulating presentation of the various business opportunities being offered by Ras Al Khaimah's dynamic tourism sector," added McCormack.RAK Tourism is also expected to offer an extensive exhibition of several tourism projects and developments of other Ras Al Khaimah-based organisations.

Read the full article at The Seoul Times