Ras Al Khaimah posts record tourism figures for July as Covid recovery gathers pace

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) has announced the highest number of visitors ever to the emirate in July, with 109,048 arrivals. The influx was bolstered by the opening of the world’s largest Hampton by Hilton at the beginning of July, which welcomed more than 6,000 guests during its first four weeks of operations. The bumper month follows a healthy first-half performance for the emirate as it welcomed over 223,580 international visitors and 206,844 UAE residents, a total increase of almost 40 percent compared to the same period in 2020. The emirate also achieved a visitor satisfaction score of 98 percent for the first half of 2021, the highest ever percentage reported for the destination, according to Nielsen, along with the highest net promoter score among international visitors recorded over recent years. Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “Ras Al Khaimah is a case study in successful Covid-19 management, with thoughtful and progressive initiatives ranging from robust safety measures, vaccination drives for travel and tourism workers, and free return PCR testing for international visitors, to targeted destination campaigns and a renewed focus on aviation collaborations. "The combination of all these measures has led to steady and sustained recovery for the destination and renewed confidence for our tourism industry.” Ras Al Khaimah is one of the fastest growing destinations in the region. It was named the Gulf Tourism Capital for both 2020 and 2021 by the Gulf Cooperation Council and set a global benchmark in becoming the first city in the world to secure the Bureau Veritas Safeguard Label and World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travel Stamp, marking a key step in its tourism recovery.