Ras Al Khaimah sees surge in Indian tourists in 2016

Ras Al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates that comprise the United Arab Emirates, is targeting nearly two-fold jump in the overnight stays from India in 2016.
"Ras Al Khaimah is targeting close to 30,000 overnights from India this year. During last year the destination witnessed 16,000 Indian overnights, an 81 per cent rise over the previous year," Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority CEO Haitham Mattar told reporters here.
India is expected to continue to grow as a key source market for Ras Al Khaimah, contributing significantly to its goal of achieving one million visitors (from all over the world) by the end of 2018, he added.

"India ranks as the fourth source market for the destination after Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom with 2-3 days of average length of stay," Mattar said.
The tourism authority is now enhancing efforts to drive awareness across India through its marketing campaigns and relationships with key partners in the public and private sectors, including airlines, he added.
"Our goal is to continue this growth and diversify the type of visitors from India to include those seeking adventure, nature, heritage, sun and sand. Through these efforts, we expect India to continue to be a top inbound market and remain a strong contributor to the growth of the emirate's tourism sector," Mattar said.

Established in May 2011, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority mandate is to develop the emirate's tourism infrastructure and establish Ras Al Khaimah as a leading destination for leisure and business travel.
The authority has a government mandate to license, regulate and monitor the emirate's tourism and hospitality industry.