Ras Al Khaimah was named the Gulf Tourism Capital for 2021 at the fifth annual meeting of tourism ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
During a virtual meeting to discuss Gulf integration in the tourism sector, Ras Al Khaimah was commended for its identity as a sustainable tourist destination and was awarded the coveted title for the second year running.
Building on the momentum of recovery, Ras Al Khaimah also announced a series of firsts – the world’s first Bear Grylls Explorer Camp to open with accommodation offerings as well as the highest restaurant in the UAE – 1484 by Puro – both attractions located on Jebel Jais, the highest mountain peak in the UAE.
In addition to this, UNESCO World Heritage announced that four sites in Ras Al Khaimah; Julfar, Jazirah al-Hamra, Shimal and Dhayah, have been included on the tentative list of World Heritage Sites, an acknowledgement that will serve to further strengthen the recovery performance of the Emirate’s tourism and hospitality industries.
The announcement follows growth in the Ras Al Khaimah’s RevPAR and ADR across July and August this year, the only regional market to achieve this. The Middle East Hotel Benchmark Survey Report, conducted by Ernest and Young across the hospitality sector, saw an ADR increase from July 2019 to July 2020 in the Emirate of over 70% resulting in robust RevPAR growth of 13%.
In August, a similar pattern emerged with an ADR increase of over 60% from August 2019, leading to RevPAR growth of over 15%. The growth can be attributed to enhanced safety and hygiene measures as well as the dedicated Shortcation marketing campaign, which drove 15,000 room night bookings in 12 weeks.
The emirate is looking to grow its offering to attract further visitation through a long-term investment strategy aimed at developing Jebel Jais as a standalone destination. This will be achieved through the diversification of its offering and introducing several new nature-based sustainable projects on the UAE’s highest mountain.
