DUBAI

Off the back of record growth for visitors to the emirate, Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) intends to consolidate its position in Germany, whilst growing its presence in other European countries amid a weak euro.

“Germans continue to flock to RAK, and after the decline in the euro, we were well positioned to cater to lower budget tourists,” said Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), in a phone interview on Thursday.

He argued that unlike Dubai, RAK offered beach-front hotels of five-star quality for a much lower price that was perfect for the weak currency environment Europe was currently experiencing.

The emirate saw a 10.9 per cent year-on-year growth of visitors in 2016, with German visitors up 24.6 per cent last year and now contributing one in 10 of all visitors to Ras Al Khaimah.

According to Mattar, RAKTDA spent 80 per cent more on marketing in Germany last year than in 2015, and he said that shows no signs of abating this year, having recently inked deals with four local tour operators.

As part of RAKTDA’s wider strategy for 2017, the authority also intends to focus on adventure tourism, which includes sports.

This year, the annual Dubai Tour, a professional road cycling race, included a stage in Ras Al Khaimah for the first time, whilst on Friday the emirate will host its inaugural half marathon.

“We are now focusing much more on the sports side of things. We are actively looking to forge partnerships with international organisers to drive more events here,” Mattar said.

According to him, there has been a high level of interest, but as of yet they “haven’t been able to lock anything in.”

While China is also a market of interest for RAKTDA, Mattar was quick to note that it would never compete with places like Germany or Saudi Arabia.

“Chinese travellers don’t necessarily travel to one destination, they usually visit multiple emirates. We are not, however, targeting large tours, as we simply don’t have the capacity. We are aiming for small families.”

The authority opened an office in Shanghai in January 2017, and signed a deal last year with tour operator Ctrip, the largest operator and China and second largest in the world.

Mattar added that RAKTDA would be opening an office in Riyadh later this month.