RAK tourism expects 1mn visitors to emirate in 2018

Ras Al Khaimah
/ Emirates Business

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), which develops the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and initiates its domestic and overseas promotions, has partnered RAK Centre for Statistics & Studies to develop detailed analysis of the economic impact local, regional and international visitor arrivals play on the emirate’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The MoU between t
he two entities was signed by RAKTDA CEO, Haitham Mattar, and RAK Center for Statistics & Studies
Executive Director, Ibrahim Akoum, at the Authority’s offices on
Al Marjan Island.
The agreement will see the development of various studies and surveys
to assist in stakeholder,
investor and government engagement to facilitate further economic gro-
wth in the UAE’s most northern emirate.
Under Mattar’s leadership, RAKTDA aims to
attract one million visit-
ors to Ras Al Khaimah in 2018 — up from 900,000 this year — with three
million annual visitors
targeted by 2025.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mattar said: “This partnership will expand our official tourism-related data source and provide a clearer picture of the direct contribution tourism has on Ras
Al Khaimah’s gross domestic product. Our goal through this partnership
is to assess our current
activity successes and look at areas of opportunity
for ourselves, other stakeholders and potential
investors.”