THE Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (TDA), which participated at the 2013 Arabian Travel Market (ATM), highlighted its plans to inaugurate five major hotels and resorts in 2013, adding a further 2,000 rooms to the emirate’s hospitality offerings and marking several UAE-wide ‘firsts’.
Among those scheduled to open later this year are the 346-room Ras Al Khaimah Waldorf Astoria marking the entry of Hilton Worldwide’s luxury brand into the UAE; the 596-room Rixos Bab Al Bahr Resort on Marjan Island; the 315-room Marjan Island Resort & Spa; the 265-room Santorini Hotel, a part of The Bin Majid Group, and the 385-room DoubleTree by Hilton Resort, Marjan Island, the second DoubleTree property in Ras Al Khaimah.The TDA also said that 304,843 guests boosted the emirate’s hotel revenues to $45.102 million in the first quarter of 2013. This follows a record 2012 during which Ras Al Khaimah welcomed 1.1 million guests. The figures reveal that Ras Al Khaimah is enjoying a significant rise in domestic tourism, as traffic from the UAE increased 15 per cent from 2012 levels. As a result, during the first quarter of 2013, the UAE overtook Germany and Russia as Ras Al Khaimah’s largest market.